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Greek Island Running Out Of Space To Bury Dead Migrants

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Lesbos migrants graves
A piece of marble reading 'Unidentified' is placed over the grave of a person who drowned on the way from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos, at a makeshift cemetery in Mytiline, on the Geek island of Lesbos, on Nov. 4, 2015.Aris Messinis—AFP/Getty Images
By Tessa Berenson Rogers

The Greek island of Lesbos, a key gateway into Europe for refugees, is running out of space to bury those who die on the treacherous journey.

Authorities on the island declared this week that the cemetery is full, AFP reports, so bodies are beginning to be stored in a large refrigerated container.

A solution may be years away: “It could take 2-3 years” to release a property near the hospital that could be used as a graveyard, a local bishop told Mega Channel, according to AFP. Lesbos’ mayor said he will talk about the issue with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras on Thursday.

Almost 500 migrants have died crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey this year.

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Write to Tessa Berenson Rogers at tessa.Rogers@time.com