SURREY, United Kingdom — Like the other Aegean Islands, Lesvos provides a unique blend of stunning natural scenery, historical significance and warm hospitality from locals. However as one of the Greek migration hotspots, a stain upon the island’s history is the harsh and dehumanizing conditions within the refugee camps. Yet organizations like Yoga and Sport with Refugees in Lesvos offer a glimmer of hope by promoting a support system through the power of exercise and movement.
The island of Lesvos is one notable location that is still suffering from the government’s inadequacies in respecting refugees’ vulnerabilities and dignity. Most notorious is the Moria camp, where living conditions were so deplorable people died, and where women felt so unsafe they “wore diapers” at night to avoid the threat of sexual violence. Moria burnt down in flames in September 2020 and refugees are housed in a new temporary facility in Mavrovouni, Lesvos.
Conditions Remain Concerning
Despite the Greek Prime Minister’s assertion that conditions in the camps across the islands have improved and that “the hell of Moria no longer exists,” the services and infrastructure in the closed controlled center in Mavromouni remain concerning and do not constitute an adequate standard of living that promotes the health and wellbeing of its residents.
Beyond living within a prison-like environment with barbed wire and 24/7 police surveillance, according to European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), access to vital resources remains a challenge. One of the latest threats to the well-being and even the survival of refugees in Lesvos is the cutting off of hundreds of people’s access to food and drinking water in the camp.
Since May 19, 2023, the Greek Ministry of Migration has decided to cut off provisions for those who have had either an accepted or rejected asylum claim, discounting the fact they have the right to appeal (a process that can be weeks long) and that such process can take months before they move to their new host country.
What’s more, is that many asylum seekers have experienced a decline in their mental health whilst living in the camps. Indeed, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reported in 2020 that the impact of containment led to a staggering rise of people reporting depression at 61%” and anxiety at 60%, and most critically reporting suicidal thoughts at 35%.
Yoga and Sport with Refugees: A Window of Salvation
Estelle Jean founded Yoga and Sport with Refugees (YSR) in Lesvos in late 2017, with the organization expanding to locations in Ioannina, Athens and Paris since. Jean understood and responded to the need to provide a “healthy safe space,” open to anyone wishing to reap the benefits of movement and exercise in a community setting.
Resting upon the pillars of community, resilience and integration, YSR offers a variety of sporting activities ranging from cardio-based activities such as running and swimming, strengthening through bodybuilding at the YSR gym, as well as less conventional community activities like parkour and acro yoga.
With over 40,000 visits to YSR gyms in 2022 alone, it clearly is doing something right.
The Value of Participating in Activities
In an interview with The Borgen Project, YRS volunteer Jessica Paine speaks of the value that participating in the various activities has upon the mental resilience of refugees in Lesvos. She explains that in the classes “students align in a shared goal” and being part of the gym community helps “people feel strong, and that is so important in an environment which attempts to weaken you.”
Indeed, she emphasizes the importance of a lack of police and surveillance within the gym in helping to create a safe haven for refugees to be in an environment that engages on a “personal level beyond passports and appreciates individuals in their own right.” One of the most poignant messages she emotes in being a proud member of the YSR community is that it allows one the opportunity “to resituate your mind into your body, to increase your awareness and to find a home”.
Whilst it may be unsurprising that the effects of sport and exercise can have immense benefits to one’s mental health like increasing self-esteem and enhancing one’s mood, there is also a unique essential factor anchoring the success of YSR. This is because it has had over 70 coaches that have experienced being a refugee themselves leading classes.
In fact, a 2020 study found that coaches in community sports programs who came from similar socio-economic backgrounds and had similar life experiences as the participants are a key factor in aiding said participants in achieving a sense of self-security and lessening feelings of loneliness.
Going Forward
Meaningful solutions are needed to ensure that asylum seekers can access health care, education, employment opportunities and other basic needs. Only then can these vulnerable individuals receive the care and support they need in order to live with dignity. YSR gyms help offer a step in the right direction toward achieving these goals for refugees in Lesvos.
– Lucy Gebbie
Photo: Courtesy of Jessica Paine