During their cruise trip in the Greek islands, Louise and Keith Saw decided to transform their holidays into a volunteer mission and help migrants on one of the first entrance points in the European continent, Leros.

As documented on their online travel blog www.motoryachtakuna.com, the Northern Rivers couple started volunteering full time at a compound where refugees are processed on 5 September.

In collaboration with the authorities and other volunteers, they are trying to provide the basic resources and services that can make the refugees’ stay on the island more tolerable.

This includes gathering basic goods and clothing , handing out food and water or even helping people in need of medical assistance to get access to treatment and medication.

The situation as described on their online posts is dire.

With hundreds arriving on an almost daily basis, the island’s facilities are not sufficient to accommodate the overwhelming flow of asylum seekers.

“There is no funding. Greece is bankrupt.

The UNHCR are bankrupt and having to close camps in Syria and Turkey. Our compound is running on donations from locals, people on holidays and people like us living on boats,” Mr and Mrs Saw shared on their blog.

Mrs Shaw’s brother, Gerard Criss, told ABC news he has communicated with his sister and brother-in-law, who are witnessing an increase on the number of refugees landing on the island since their arrival.

Source: ABC