The Greek island of Lesbos is facing the worst migration crisis in all of Europe, a Medecins Sans Frontieres official told the BBC.
Around 15,000 migrants arrived on the island in June. Lesbos has a total population of just 86,000, and the BBC says the massive influx has exhausted most available resources and left officials scrambling.
The migrants often arrive on the northern tip of the island close to Turkey, and then walk over 25 miles to the other side of the island to apply for papers that let them stay in the country for up to six months.
The island’s chief of police told the BBC that 1,600 migrants arrived on Saturday alone. Police said they were working 24 hours a day to process the new migrants, but still only manage to get through between 300 to 500 a day.
An abandoned race track and the island’s only detention facility house the migrants, but have been stretched to more than full capacity, the BBC reports.
Over 63,000 migrants have arrived in Greece this year already, according to the BBC.
The total number of migrants arriving in Europe in 2015 has more than doubled since 2014.
Italian navy rescues asylum seekers traveling by boat off the coast of Africa on the Mediterranean, June 7, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisA soldier using binoculars to spot boats carrying asylum seekers, June 2, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisRefugees rescued off a boat and carried onto an Italian navy ship, June 7, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisItalian navy rescues asylum seekers traveling by boat off the coast of Africa, June 7, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisItalian soldier carries a Syrian child on a ship after the Italian navy rescued 443 Syrian asylum seekers off a fishing vessel, June 5, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrican asylum seekers rescued off boats and taken aboard an Italy navy ship, June 8, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAn empty dinghy with leftover lifesavers after the Italian navy rescued asylum seekers off the coast of Africa, June 7, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisSyrian refugees sleeping on an Italian navy ship after being rescued from a fishing vessel carrying 443 Syrian asylum seekers, June 5, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisSyrian refugees on an Italian navy ship after being rescued from a fishing vessel carrying 443 Syrian asylum seekers, June 5, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisSyrian refugees sleeping on an Italian navy ship after being rescued from a fishing vessel carrying 443 Syrian asylum seekers, June 5, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrican asylum seekers rescued off boats and taken aboard an Italy navy ship, June 8, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrican refugees rescued by the Italian navy at night off a rubber dinghy, June 8, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrican asylum seekers rescued off boats and taken aboard an Italian navy ship, June 8, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrican asylum seekers on board a rescue craft dispatched from an Italian navy ship, June 7.Massimo Sestini—PolarisAfrica refugees on an Italian navy ship after being rescued at sea, June 8, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisA mother and child on a Italian navy ship after being rescued from a fishing vessel carrying 443 Syrian asylum seekers, June 5, 2014. Massimo Sestini—PolarisAbandoned boats graveyard in Lampedusa, May 29, 2014. Massimo Sestini—Polaris
