Shutting the doors

For many, Greece was a place of transit. They continued on to northern and western Europe. Many who applied for asylum were granted international protection; thousands became European citizens.

The influx of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty shook the European Union to its core.

A decade later, the fallout still reverberates on the island and beyond. The immediate humanitarian crisis — to feed, shelter and care for so many people at once — grew into a long-term political one.

Migration policy in Greece, like much of Europe, has shifted toward deterrence in the decade since the crisis. Officials and politicians have maintained that strong borders are needed. Critics say enforcement has gone too far and violates fundamental EU rights and values.