Lesbos

The Turkish villagers had grown used to hearing the smugglers arrive in the dead of night, speeding through the narrow streets in minibuses packed with Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans headed for the rocky coves nearby.

The United Nations refugee agency said on March 21 that it would not operate in "detention centers" on the Greek island of Lesbos for migrants and refugees arriving from Turkey, dealing a blow to the European Union's agreement with Ankara last week. 

The Greek island of Lesvos was once known for its beautiful beaches and its marvelous landscape. Now it has become the heartbreaking geographic symbol of the refugee crisis.

The following video, created by a design-based collective called Embassy for the Displaced, shows the scarred face of the island.

Human smugglers have started using speed boats for the illegal transportation of migrants trying to reach Europe, the governor of the western Turkish province Çanakkale told state-run Anadolu Agency on March 15.

"Human smugglers always change their tactics. In the face of this, we are also trying to develop our own tactics, pushing our limits," said Hamza Erkal.

According to local media on the island of Lesvos, international mega star Angelina Jolie will land on the Greek island at 5 pm Tuesday as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador. The actress is expected to arrive in her own private jet and plans to spend time among the refugees, according to local news portal ‘Lesvosnews.gr’.

The number of stranded refugees and migrants on the islands of the northern Aegean has increased.

7,614 identified persons on the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos on Friday are ready to leave for Piraeus port, while 821 arrivals were recorded on the island of Lesvos in the last 24 hours.

Refugees flock to the Greek island of Lesvos with authorities saying that more than 6,000 people have been registered and identified during the last three days, while Greek Coast Guard and Frontex continue to rescue people who are trying to reach Greece.

The Bulgarian border police ship Obzor 525 participating in the Poseidon Rapid Intervention mission of Frontex rescued around 900 migrants near the Greek island of Lesbos on Thursday.

The ship, which is helping Greece in tackling the migrant pressure on the external sea borders of the EU in the area of Lesbos, was on patrol between the port of Mytilene and the Turkish coast.

A four-year-old boy died on a boat crossing the Aegean Sea, the Greek coastguard said on Feb. 17, as the flow of refugees and migrants increased again after a brief lull.

The current president of Italy's chamber of deputies, Laura Boldrini, knows a lot about refugees. Before she took over her latest public office during Italian Prime Minister Mateo Renzi's term in 2013, she was the spokesperson for the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees and dealt with the crisis of refugees and migrants flooding her country.