Kos is a Greek island located about 6 kilometers away from Turkey. Due to its location it has become a central point for migrants seeking refuge in Europe. The small island, with a population of less than 31,000 residents, received more than 8,000 refugees arriving on Kos between January and May of 2015. After watching the Vice video “Migrants Stranded on Kos”, I became aware of the unwillingness of both local and national government in the aid of migrants.

The migrants stranded in Kos are all taken to an abandoned hotel where there is no water, food, clothing, toilet, or electricity for them. They are then told that they must remain in the abandoned hotel and not ask for any aid as it is “not their business”. The inhumane conditions by which the migrants are treated are a direct violation of the European Union’s laws concerning migrants who enter European territory. The blame game that occurs between the local and national government does not aid in providing clean, safe conditions for migrants. Although the local government is aware of the horrid conditions by which the migrants are living, the mayor is still under the idea that it is not his responsibility to fix. When the reporter is speaking to a national government official he points out that the municipal government controls the water facilities, cleaning facilities, etc. making it partially the responsibility of the mayor. The mayor’s reluctance to aid the migrants does not necessarily align with his goals to protect tourism by all costs. By denying migrants basic human rights and stranding them on the island he is creating an abundance of migrants who are left stuck on the island with no resources and no possibility to leave thus creating a “less attractive” tourist destination. The increased delay in the processing of papers also denies the migrants their rights and creates a system where more than one thousand people are stranded on an island for extended durations of time in inhumane conditions with no hope of reporting the crimes to anyone that will take action and aid them.