Arriving into Lesvos by air reveals a coastline ringed with orange life vests, discarded by the many tens of thousands who have already landed on these shores.

Arriving into Lesvos by air reveals a coastline ringed with orange life vests, discarded by the many tens of thousands who have already landed on these shores.

AtTheGate_webpage.jpg
In the refugee camp, Moria, a Syrian man shows a photo of he and his friends smiling nervously as they are about to embark across the Aegean Sea from the Turkish side in the early hours of the morning.

In the refugee camp, Moria, a Syrian man shows a photo of he and his friends smiling nervously as they are about to embark across the Aegean Sea from the Turkish side in the early hours of the morning.

A landfill outside Mytilene provides a haunting visual symbol of the 856,723 people who opted to tempt fate on the Aegean in 2015.

A landfill outside Mytilene provides a haunting visual symbol of the 856,723 people who opted to tempt fate on the Aegean in 2015.

A small rubber dinghy is dwarfed by a passing ferry, making its dash to Lesvos and European soil with 28 souls aboard.

A small rubber dinghy is dwarfed by a passing ferry, making its dash to Lesvos and European soil with 28 souls aboard.

In a moment of panic, a man miscalculated the distance to shore and leapt from the raft despite protests from the others. To the right of the dinghy, he struggles to stay afloat in the offshore current.

In a moment of panic, a man miscalculated the distance to shore and leapt from the raft despite protests from the others. To the right of the dinghy, he struggles to stay afloat in the offshore current.

Clothes presumably hung to dry on the formidable fences that cordon off the administration area inside Moria, soak in the night’s rain.

Clothes presumably hung to dry on the formidable fences that cordon off the administration area inside Moria, soak in the night’s rain.

Abu Hasan's gaze meets the camera as he sits with his friends, all from Damascus, while they conserve what little wood they found earlier in the day and take turns warming themselves in the radiant heat of their small campfire.

Abu Hasan's gaze meets the camera as he sits with his friends, all from Damascus, while they conserve what little wood they found earlier in the day and take turns warming themselves in the radiant heat of their small campfire.

Mirwais Shafiqullah Dawlatzai • 18 years old • abandoned building in Leros • Mirwais was sent as the sole ambassador for his family from Kabul to Europe. He says he feels incredible pressure to find asylum and earn money so that he can bring his fam

Mirwais Shafiqullah Dawlatzai • 18 years old • abandoned building in Leros • Mirwais was sent as the sole ambassador for his family from Kabul to Europe. He says he feels incredible pressure to find asylum and earn money so that he can bring his family over after his parents invested their life savings into his journey. One day he hopes to become a psychiatrist living in Germany.

Blankets provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees pile up in an abandoned building on the island of Leros as refugees shed bulk in preparation for advancing farther into Europe. 

Blankets provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees pile up in an abandoned building on the island of Leros as refugees shed bulk in preparation for advancing farther into Europe. 

Watching the kids play below, Saboor stands at a second story window in an old building in Leros that's been converted to a refugee camp.

Watching the kids play below, Saboor stands at a second story window in an old building in Leros that's been converted to a refugee camp.

Adam, with tears streaming down his face recalling this dark chapter in his life, pulls up a photo on his phone of his back after he was captured and tortured by Bashar al-Assad’s men for a year. His crime–using his connections as a mobile phone ret

Adam, with tears streaming down his face recalling this dark chapter in his life, pulls up a photo on his phone of his back after he was captured and tortured by Bashar al-Assad’s men for a year. His crime–using his connections as a mobile phone retailer to orchestrate a covert food smuggling operation into his besieged city of Hama in 2011.

Adam, a 39 year old Christian Syrian, was imprisoned along with his brother for a year by Assad’s forces for orchestrating a food smuggling operation into the besieged city of Hama. Early on, his brother was tortured to death. Adam endured a full ye

Adam, a 39 year old Christian Syrian, was imprisoned along with his brother for a year by Assad’s forces for orchestrating a food smuggling operation into the besieged city of Hama. Early on, his brother was tortured to death. Adam endured a full year of sadistic treatment beyond most human imagination. Electric beds and prods were among the favorite tools. Eventually, he was able to convince a sympathetic (or opportunistic) guard to stage an escape in exchange for $20,000USD.

Razan Taleb, Leros Camp
Razan Taleb, Leros Camp
Reem • 21 years old • Eleonas Camp, Athens • Reem of Al-Raqqah, Syria lost her husband to imprisonment during their dash to Europe. Traveling ahead to secure maternity doctors in Europe, Reem’s husband was arrested on the border with Denmark on fals

Reem • 21 years old • Eleonas Camp, Athens • Reem of Al-Raqqah, Syria lost her husband to imprisonment during their dash to Europe. Traveling ahead to secure maternity doctors in Europe, Reem’s husband was arrested on the border with Denmark on false suspicion of human smuggling. He is now being held in Korydallos- Athens’s most infamous prison. With her due date past, each day brings mounting fear and anxiety as Reem is beginning to face the reality of childbirth alone in a foreign land.

Afghan men cook bite-sized fish they caught in the nearby harbor of the small island of Leros, Greece.

Afghan men cook bite-sized fish they caught in the nearby harbor of the small island of Leros, Greece.

Naked trunks stripped bare stand sentinel to refugees resorting to discarded clothing and blankets as fuel for their fires to stave off freezing temperatures on this wet January night inside Moria.

Naked trunks stripped bare stand sentinel to refugees resorting to discarded clothing and blankets as fuel for their fires to stave off freezing temperatures on this wet January night inside Moria.

For many refugees caught in limbo, like these Algerians barred from traveling beyond Greece, it’s the mundane tasks that keep them sane. Like this man who offered to cut everyone’s hair on this sunny afternoon.

For many refugees caught in limbo, like these Algerians barred from traveling beyond Greece, it’s the mundane tasks that keep them sane. Like this man who offered to cut everyone’s hair on this sunny afternoon.

Father and son, in the absence of anything else to do, wander the perimeter of Moria in the freezing drizzle.

Father and son, in the absence of anything else to do, wander the perimeter of Moria in the freezing drizzle.

Sana and Mohammad Mardini, 15 years married, carried themselves differently than the rest. Victorian postures and proper greetings made me take notice. Mohammad revealed through his limited English that he had been an owner of a series of lingerie f

Sana and Mohammad Mardini, 15 years married, carried themselves differently than the rest. Victorian postures and proper greetings made me take notice. Mohammad revealed through his limited English that he had been an owner of a series of lingerie factories in Damascus, while his wife Sana, acted as general manager. Hearing stories from home and accounts of their journey in relative comfort, it seems safe to assume that these two come from Syrian high society.

Through the freezing rain, refugees wait through the night where they can, harboring fires for warmth.

Through the freezing rain, refugees wait through the night where they can, harboring fires for warmth.

Fifteen year old Mohammed, flanked by his uncle on the right and father on the left, experienced an unnerving journey across the Aegean. In the first attempt, their boat was repelled by the Turkish coast guard. On the second attempt (and another $1,

Fifteen year old Mohammed, flanked by his uncle on the right and father on the left, experienced an unnerving journey across the Aegean. In the first attempt, their boat was repelled by the Turkish coast guard. On the second attempt (and another $1,000USD to the smugglers), the boat sank. Fortunately, Mohammed and his family were spotted by the Greek coast guard and all aboard were saved. In 2015, 3,722 refugees making the crossing were not as lucky.

Spyros Galinos, Mayor of Mytilene (Lesvos) • Mayor’s Office of Mytilene • Spyros Galinos found himself thrust into the middle of an international crisis shortly after he took office in July of 2014 when his sleepy island became the main door to Euro

Spyros Galinos, Mayor of Mytilene (Lesvos) • Mayor’s Office of Mytilene • Spyros Galinos found himself thrust into the middle of an international crisis shortly after he took office in July of 2014 when his sleepy island became the main door to Europe. Largely outside of media attention, Spyros has quietly led his community, hundreds of thousands of refugees and Europe as a whole through this critical and trying time. As we were leaving, talking through a translator, the last thing he said to me was "I don't see myself acting as a leader. I see myself acting as a human." Behind the drama of news coverage, these are the men and women who are silently leading the charge, and because of it, saving and improving lives.

Tire inner tubes dot the waters off the coast of Lesvos with Turkey looming in the distance. The tubes serve as makeshift floatation devices for those who cannot afford proper life preservers, which are often subject to extreme price gouging. These

Tire inner tubes dot the waters off the coast of Lesvos with Turkey looming in the distance. The tubes serve as makeshift floatation devices for those who cannot afford proper life preservers, which are often subject to extreme price gouging. These tubes serve as a quiet reminder to the enormity of lives risked crossing this narrow stretch of water in hopes of making a better life on a new continent, a world away from home.

Ammar holds his numbered ticket that he received upon entrance into Moria, Mytilene’s refugee camp and registration center. Once his number is called, he must wait in line, sometimes for a full day, to receive his EU registration papers.

Ammar holds his numbered ticket that he received upon entrance into Moria, Mytilene’s refugee camp and registration center. Once his number is called, he must wait in line, sometimes for a full day, to receive his EU registration papers.

Sanaa Karom • 47 years old • abandoned building in Leros • When ISIS came to Sanaa Karom's community in Syria and demanded to take all the women and girls (most certainly to be used as sex slaves), Sanaa stood her ground. She and a handful of other

Sanaa Karom • 47 years old • abandoned building in Leros • When ISIS came to Sanaa Karom's community in Syria and demanded to take all the women and girls (most certainly to be used as sex slaves), Sanaa stood her ground. She and a handful of other women took on 250 ISIS jihadists in total and by the grace of God, survived and saved the other women. Now having just received her EU papers moments before this portrait was taken, Sanaa hopes to use that same strength to carry on alone and one day soon be reunited with her husband in Northern Europe.

Ahmed “John Misto” • Kara Tepe Camp, Lesvos • Ahmed quickly distinguished himself from the others with his sharp, American accented English that he says he picked up watching countless WWE fights and his obsession with American culture. Originally f

Ahmed “John Misto” • Kara Tepe Camp, Lesvos • Ahmed quickly distinguished himself from the others with his sharp, American accented English that he says he picked up watching countless WWE fights and his obsession with American culture. Originally from Hama, Syria, Ahmed was living and working in Saudi Arabia for the last number of years. Quick to rant, he was outspoken about his political and ideological beliefs, which ironically, were staunchly anti-American.

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • An Afghan man sits alone at the entrance of the camp’s community tent, enjoying the last minutes of the late afternoon sun, waiting day after day for asylum.

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • An Afghan man sits alone at the entrance of the camp’s community tent, enjoying the last minutes of the late afternoon sun, waiting day after day for asylum.

Freezing fog mixes with campfire smoke inside Moria.

Freezing fog mixes with campfire smoke inside Moria.

Abu Hasan who fled war in Syria, stands for a portrait as the night consumes Moria.

Abu Hasan who fled war in Syria, stands for a portrait as the night consumes Moria.

In a tender moment, a mother moves in and touches her head to her eldest daughter’s for reassurance as the girl begins to cry.

In a tender moment, a mother moves in and touches her head to her eldest daughter’s for reassurance as the girl begins to cry.

Fatima Mustafah Abdulkarim, in an abandoned building in Leros

Fatima Mustafah Abdulkarim, in an abandoned building in Leros

A man warms himself by a fire on a cold winter night in Moria.

A man warms himself by a fire on a cold winter night in Moria.

Saboor, in an abandoned building in Leros

Saboor, in an abandoned building in Leros

Iman Mohamad Ali, in an abandoned building in Leros

Iman Mohamad Ali, in an abandoned building in Leros

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • Shy and softspoken, this Congolese man who chose not to give his name is waiting indefinitely at Eleonas. Most likely, he will be deported back to Congo.

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • Shy and softspoken, this Congolese man who chose not to give his name is waiting indefinitely at Eleonas. Most likely, he will be deported back to Congo.

In Athens, the refugee camp, Eleonas, sits in silence as most of its residents have continued on, trying their luck at the Macedonian border and onwards towards, hopefully, a new life in Europe.

In Athens, the refugee camp, Eleonas, sits in silence as most of its residents have continued on, trying their luck at the Macedonian border and onwards towards, hopefully, a new life in Europe.

Arriving into Lesvos by air reveals a coastline ringed with orange life vests, discarded by the many tens of thousands who have already landed on these shores.
AtTheGate_webpage.jpg
In the refugee camp, Moria, a Syrian man shows a photo of he and his friends smiling nervously as they are about to embark across the Aegean Sea from the Turkish side in the early hours of the morning.
A landfill outside Mytilene provides a haunting visual symbol of the 856,723 people who opted to tempt fate on the Aegean in 2015.
A small rubber dinghy is dwarfed by a passing ferry, making its dash to Lesvos and European soil with 28 souls aboard.
In a moment of panic, a man miscalculated the distance to shore and leapt from the raft despite protests from the others. To the right of the dinghy, he struggles to stay afloat in the offshore current.
Clothes presumably hung to dry on the formidable fences that cordon off the administration area inside Moria, soak in the night’s rain.
Abu Hasan's gaze meets the camera as he sits with his friends, all from Damascus, while they conserve what little wood they found earlier in the day and take turns warming themselves in the radiant heat of their small campfire.
Mirwais Shafiqullah Dawlatzai • 18 years old • abandoned building in Leros • Mirwais was sent as the sole ambassador for his family from Kabul to Europe. He says he feels incredible pressure to find asylum and earn money so that he can bring his fam
Blankets provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees pile up in an abandoned building on the island of Leros as refugees shed bulk in preparation for advancing farther into Europe. 
Watching the kids play below, Saboor stands at a second story window in an old building in Leros that's been converted to a refugee camp.
Adam, with tears streaming down his face recalling this dark chapter in his life, pulls up a photo on his phone of his back after he was captured and tortured by Bashar al-Assad’s men for a year. His crime–using his connections as a mobile phone ret
Adam, a 39 year old Christian Syrian, was imprisoned along with his brother for a year by Assad’s forces for orchestrating a food smuggling operation into the besieged city of Hama. Early on, his brother was tortured to death. Adam endured a full ye
Razan Taleb, Leros Camp
Reem • 21 years old • Eleonas Camp, Athens • Reem of Al-Raqqah, Syria lost her husband to imprisonment during their dash to Europe. Traveling ahead to secure maternity doctors in Europe, Reem’s husband was arrested on the border with Denmark on fals
Afghan men cook bite-sized fish they caught in the nearby harbor of the small island of Leros, Greece.
Naked trunks stripped bare stand sentinel to refugees resorting to discarded clothing and blankets as fuel for their fires to stave off freezing temperatures on this wet January night inside Moria.
For many refugees caught in limbo, like these Algerians barred from traveling beyond Greece, it’s the mundane tasks that keep them sane. Like this man who offered to cut everyone’s hair on this sunny afternoon.
Father and son, in the absence of anything else to do, wander the perimeter of Moria in the freezing drizzle.
Sana and Mohammad Mardini, 15 years married, carried themselves differently than the rest. Victorian postures and proper greetings made me take notice. Mohammad revealed through his limited English that he had been an owner of a series of lingerie f
Through the freezing rain, refugees wait through the night where they can, harboring fires for warmth.
Fifteen year old Mohammed, flanked by his uncle on the right and father on the left, experienced an unnerving journey across the Aegean. In the first attempt, their boat was repelled by the Turkish coast guard. On the second attempt (and another $1,
Spyros Galinos, Mayor of Mytilene (Lesvos) • Mayor’s Office of Mytilene • Spyros Galinos found himself thrust into the middle of an international crisis shortly after he took office in July of 2014 when his sleepy island became the main door to Euro
Tire inner tubes dot the waters off the coast of Lesvos with Turkey looming in the distance. The tubes serve as makeshift floatation devices for those who cannot afford proper life preservers, which are often subject to extreme price gouging. These
Ammar holds his numbered ticket that he received upon entrance into Moria, Mytilene’s refugee camp and registration center. Once his number is called, he must wait in line, sometimes for a full day, to receive his EU registration papers.
Sanaa Karom • 47 years old • abandoned building in Leros • When ISIS came to Sanaa Karom's community in Syria and demanded to take all the women and girls (most certainly to be used as sex slaves), Sanaa stood her ground. She and a handful of other
Ahmed “John Misto” • Kara Tepe Camp, Lesvos • Ahmed quickly distinguished himself from the others with his sharp, American accented English that he says he picked up watching countless WWE fights and his obsession with American culture. Originally f
Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • An Afghan man sits alone at the entrance of the camp’s community tent, enjoying the last minutes of the late afternoon sun, waiting day after day for asylum.
Freezing fog mixes with campfire smoke inside Moria.
Abu Hasan who fled war in Syria, stands for a portrait as the night consumes Moria.
In a tender moment, a mother moves in and touches her head to her eldest daughter’s for reassurance as the girl begins to cry.
Fatima Mustafah Abdulkarim, in an abandoned building in Leros
A man warms himself by a fire on a cold winter night in Moria.
Saboor, in an abandoned building in Leros
Iman Mohamad Ali, in an abandoned building in Leros
Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • Shy and softspoken, this Congolese man who chose not to give his name is waiting indefinitely at Eleonas. Most likely, he will be deported back to Congo.
In Athens, the refugee camp, Eleonas, sits in silence as most of its residents have continued on, trying their luck at the Macedonian border and onwards towards, hopefully, a new life in Europe.

Arriving into Lesvos by air reveals a coastline ringed with orange life vests, discarded by the many tens of thousands who have already landed on these shores.

In the refugee camp, Moria, a Syrian man shows a photo of he and his friends smiling nervously as they are about to embark across the Aegean Sea from the Turkish side in the early hours of the morning.

A landfill outside Mytilene provides a haunting visual symbol of the 856,723 people who opted to tempt fate on the Aegean in 2015.

A small rubber dinghy is dwarfed by a passing ferry, making its dash to Lesvos and European soil with 28 souls aboard.

In a moment of panic, a man miscalculated the distance to shore and leapt from the raft despite protests from the others. To the right of the dinghy, he struggles to stay afloat in the offshore current.

Clothes presumably hung to dry on the formidable fences that cordon off the administration area inside Moria, soak in the night’s rain.

Abu Hasan's gaze meets the camera as he sits with his friends, all from Damascus, while they conserve what little wood they found earlier in the day and take turns warming themselves in the radiant heat of their small campfire.

Mirwais Shafiqullah Dawlatzai • 18 years old • abandoned building in Leros • Mirwais was sent as the sole ambassador for his family from Kabul to Europe. He says he feels incredible pressure to find asylum and earn money so that he can bring his family over after his parents invested their life savings into his journey. One day he hopes to become a psychiatrist living in Germany.

Blankets provided by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees pile up in an abandoned building on the island of Leros as refugees shed bulk in preparation for advancing farther into Europe. 

Watching the kids play below, Saboor stands at a second story window in an old building in Leros that's been converted to a refugee camp.

Adam, with tears streaming down his face recalling this dark chapter in his life, pulls up a photo on his phone of his back after he was captured and tortured by Bashar al-Assad’s men for a year. His crime–using his connections as a mobile phone retailer to orchestrate a covert food smuggling operation into his besieged city of Hama in 2011.

Adam, a 39 year old Christian Syrian, was imprisoned along with his brother for a year by Assad’s forces for orchestrating a food smuggling operation into the besieged city of Hama. Early on, his brother was tortured to death. Adam endured a full year of sadistic treatment beyond most human imagination. Electric beds and prods were among the favorite tools. Eventually, he was able to convince a sympathetic (or opportunistic) guard to stage an escape in exchange for $20,000USD.

Razan Taleb, Leros Camp

Reem • 21 years old • Eleonas Camp, Athens • Reem of Al-Raqqah, Syria lost her husband to imprisonment during their dash to Europe. Traveling ahead to secure maternity doctors in Europe, Reem’s husband was arrested on the border with Denmark on false suspicion of human smuggling. He is now being held in Korydallos- Athens’s most infamous prison. With her due date past, each day brings mounting fear and anxiety as Reem is beginning to face the reality of childbirth alone in a foreign land.

Afghan men cook bite-sized fish they caught in the nearby harbor of the small island of Leros, Greece.

Naked trunks stripped bare stand sentinel to refugees resorting to discarded clothing and blankets as fuel for their fires to stave off freezing temperatures on this wet January night inside Moria.

For many refugees caught in limbo, like these Algerians barred from traveling beyond Greece, it’s the mundane tasks that keep them sane. Like this man who offered to cut everyone’s hair on this sunny afternoon.

Father and son, in the absence of anything else to do, wander the perimeter of Moria in the freezing drizzle.

Sana and Mohammad Mardini, 15 years married, carried themselves differently than the rest. Victorian postures and proper greetings made me take notice. Mohammad revealed through his limited English that he had been an owner of a series of lingerie factories in Damascus, while his wife Sana, acted as general manager. Hearing stories from home and accounts of their journey in relative comfort, it seems safe to assume that these two come from Syrian high society.

Through the freezing rain, refugees wait through the night where they can, harboring fires for warmth.

Fifteen year old Mohammed, flanked by his uncle on the right and father on the left, experienced an unnerving journey across the Aegean. In the first attempt, their boat was repelled by the Turkish coast guard. On the second attempt (and another $1,000USD to the smugglers), the boat sank. Fortunately, Mohammed and his family were spotted by the Greek coast guard and all aboard were saved. In 2015, 3,722 refugees making the crossing were not as lucky.

Spyros Galinos, Mayor of Mytilene (Lesvos) • Mayor’s Office of Mytilene • Spyros Galinos found himself thrust into the middle of an international crisis shortly after he took office in July of 2014 when his sleepy island became the main door to Europe. Largely outside of media attention, Spyros has quietly led his community, hundreds of thousands of refugees and Europe as a whole through this critical and trying time. As we were leaving, talking through a translator, the last thing he said to me was "I don't see myself acting as a leader. I see myself acting as a human." Behind the drama of news coverage, these are the men and women who are silently leading the charge, and because of it, saving and improving lives.

Tire inner tubes dot the waters off the coast of Lesvos with Turkey looming in the distance. The tubes serve as makeshift floatation devices for those who cannot afford proper life preservers, which are often subject to extreme price gouging. These tubes serve as a quiet reminder to the enormity of lives risked crossing this narrow stretch of water in hopes of making a better life on a new continent, a world away from home.

Ammar holds his numbered ticket that he received upon entrance into Moria, Mytilene’s refugee camp and registration center. Once his number is called, he must wait in line, sometimes for a full day, to receive his EU registration papers.

Sanaa Karom • 47 years old • abandoned building in Leros • When ISIS came to Sanaa Karom's community in Syria and demanded to take all the women and girls (most certainly to be used as sex slaves), Sanaa stood her ground. She and a handful of other women took on 250 ISIS jihadists in total and by the grace of God, survived and saved the other women. Now having just received her EU papers moments before this portrait was taken, Sanaa hopes to use that same strength to carry on alone and one day soon be reunited with her husband in Northern Europe.

Ahmed “John Misto” • Kara Tepe Camp, Lesvos • Ahmed quickly distinguished himself from the others with his sharp, American accented English that he says he picked up watching countless WWE fights and his obsession with American culture. Originally from Hama, Syria, Ahmed was living and working in Saudi Arabia for the last number of years. Quick to rant, he was outspoken about his political and ideological beliefs, which ironically, were staunchly anti-American.

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • An Afghan man sits alone at the entrance of the camp’s community tent, enjoying the last minutes of the late afternoon sun, waiting day after day for asylum.

Freezing fog mixes with campfire smoke inside Moria.

Abu Hasan who fled war in Syria, stands for a portrait as the night consumes Moria.

In a tender moment, a mother moves in and touches her head to her eldest daughter’s for reassurance as the girl begins to cry.

Fatima Mustafah Abdulkarim, in an abandoned building in Leros

A man warms himself by a fire on a cold winter night in Moria.

Saboor, in an abandoned building in Leros

Iman Mohamad Ali, in an abandoned building in Leros

Name Unknown • Eleonas Camp • Shy and softspoken, this Congolese man who chose not to give his name is waiting indefinitely at Eleonas. Most likely, he will be deported back to Congo.

In Athens, the refugee camp, Eleonas, sits in silence as most of its residents have continued on, trying their luck at the Macedonian border and onwards towards, hopefully, a new life in Europe.

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