INTRODUCTION
During the past three months, the Greek islands have seen an unprecedented increase in the influx of Syrian asylum seekers. UNHCR estimates that in July alone, Greece has received 50,242 new arrivals, more than the total number of asylum seekers arriving in 2014 (43,200 people). Once in Greece people travel to other European countries via Athens and Thessaloniki; from where they cross the border into Macedonia and continue up the Balkans to the rest of the EU. Most people primarily hope to reach Germany, with Sweden and Austria as second options.
On September 15th a REACH team was sent to Greece to collect preliminary data to assess the current displacement routes and trends for Syrian asylum seekers travelling to the EU, as well as the motivating factors both for leaving their country of origin and choosing their target destination. The information collected will compliment findings from ongoing assessments by REACH teams in the Balkans and in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.
This report outlines the findings of assessments conducted on 16 September on the Island of Kos, one of the first points of entry for Syrian refugees in Greece. Data was collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with recent arrivals of asylum seekers. Due to the transient nature of the groups, the limited time spent together, and the complex and disparate nature of motivations and intentions, there are limitations on generalizing these issues. The sample is not statistically representative, but interviews were consistent enough for trends to be perceived.