In the first hours of 2026, Haidar and Hussein were lost. They set off from Turkey on New Year’s Eve to reach Europe and a new life. They were among a group of eleven, headed by boat towards Lesvos. As they approached the Greek coast, the smugglers in charge of their boat forced them out and told them to swim to shore.
That could have been it for them. They could have joined the huge number of those who have died crossing the Aegean sea. In that moment, Haidar thought that he would die, calling out to Hussein that he was drowning, but he survived.
When they reached land, the group scattered, making a beeline for the surrounding hills. It’s a common practice. In a place like Lesvos, where police and Coast Guard carry out clandestine operations to hunt, kidnap, and push migrants back where they came from, it’s better to make yourself invisible until you reach the camp and can make an official record of your presence.
On New Year’s Day, some of them reached a village. Locals called the authorities. But Haidar and Hussein were nowhere to be found. In the camp his co-travellers told the authorities that two of them were missing. Day after day, they insisted that someone must go to find them, but nobody took any notice.
For four days Haidar and Hussein were freezing to death. They had landed, half-naked and soaked through, and fled to the surrounding mountains in fear of being caught and sent back to Turkey. They had no water or food. Taking shelter in a church, they tried to make themselves warm. But Haidar had been injured. He was vomiting, coughing, and couldn’t walk anymore. In the end, he died. Hussein found a passer-by and survived.
The Aegean islands are stage to countless stories of people who, having survived the deadly journey, succumbed to systems of indifference.
At the same time, there are as many stories of ordinary people trying to restore the dignity that the system has stolen. They listen to survivors, document their testimonies, and acknowledge what they’ve suffered. They help worried-sick relatives find out whether their loved ones have died at sea. And they refuse to allow someone to be buried far from home in an unmarked grave.
