Monthly Report: Paréa Lesvos May 2026
- 19 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
Check out our monthly project update for May 2026 at Paréa Lesvos
The word ‘paréa’ in Greek means “company, circle of friends”: everyone is welcome in Paréa!
Located within walking distance from the CCAC (Closed and Controlled Access Camp) on Lesvos, our community centre Paréa Lesvos offers a safe space where people on the move, locals, and internationals can meet and spend time in a peaceful and welcoming environment.
Paréa is run by Europe Cares, which is responsible for the safety, major facility costs, maintenance, and development of the centre. It is also a home to another 9 civil society organisations: Artists Giving Back, Boat Refugee Foundation, Collective Aid, Leave No One Behind, Makerspace Lesvos, Refocus Media Labs, Refugee Relief Doro Blancke, TerraPsy, and Yoga and Sport with Refugees. In a time of high political uncertainty and constant withdrawal of support and international attention from Lesvos, our network of partner organisations joined forces to offer people on the move a wide range of services including food and NFI distributions, legal and psychosocial support, education, and social care activities. But first and foremost, we offer a sense of community and belonging.
We are one community in solidarity. Will you join us?
View of Mavrovouni Camp from Paréa Lesvos
LESVOS UPDATES
In May, Lesvos recorded 59 new arrivals(1). Despite this, the number of people living in the Lesvos Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) has decreased. By the end of May, 323 people(2) were recorded in the camp by the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum. During the same period, there have been 39 transfers(3) from Lesvos to the mainland. Aegean Boat Report have registered 12 pushback cases in the Aegean Sea, involving 340 children, women and men who tried to reach safety in Europe.(4)
The Aegean remained at the centre of migration-related developments this month, after Tommy Olsen, founder of Aegean Boat Report, secured a significant legal victory. The Norwegian Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the European Arrest Warrant issued by the Greek authorities, ruling that the alleged offences did not constitute criminal acts under Norwegian law. The court also concluded that extradition would pose a real risk of violating Art. 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting freedom of expression. This affirms the importance of inde-pendent monitoring and documentation at Europe's borders, where transparency and accountability are essential.
At the European level significant progress has been made in implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum, with the key elements of the new system now largely in place. The Pact, which has been heavily criticised, is set to be implemented in June 2026 and is expected to further strengthen border procedures, detention practices and deportation mechanisms across the EU. However, human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that the new framework risks undermining access to asylum and prioritising deterrence over protection.
The European Commission has published its fifth State of Schengen Report, which highlights a 26% decrease in irregular border crossings in 2025 compared to 2024. It presents this as evidence of stronger border management, reflecting the continued expansion of surveillance, enforcement measures and cooperation with third countries. The Commission also reported a 28% return rate in 2025, the highest in the past decade, emphasising the growing importance of deportations in EU migration policy.
Furthermore, the Council of Europe adopted a political declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and migration. The declaration reaffirms states' commitment to the Convention, emphasising their sovereign right to control entry and residence, and to protect borders, in compliance with human rights obligations. While the text reiterates important safeguards, including protections under Art. 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, it also reflects the broader European trend of viewing migration primarily through the lens of border control and returns. Ensuring that human rights protections remain meaningful in practice rather than being reaffirmed in principle only remains a critical challenge.
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MAY IN NUMBERS
Highlight of the Month
On Friday the 8th of May, our monthly Women Space cooking workshop brought together a record number of women and children, filling the space with the delicious smell of Kabuli Pulao, the Afghan national rice-based dish.
For the women, the workshop provided a rare opportunity to cook, reconnect to their culture, share memories and traditions.
The day became a vibrant community celebration, with over 75 women and 60 children taking part. Thanks to the support of Les Oiseaux de Trottoir orchestra, families also enjoyed music, slacklining, face painting and other activities for children, making it one of the most lively and joyful gathering of the month!
Faces of Paréa
There are many great things about Paréa: I have learnt a lot here and, whenever I come, I feel happy and relaxed. The people here are lovely and welcoming and I want to thank them for what they have created. I really like the fact that, here, I can meet people from different countries and learn about their cultures and languages. I don’t have a favourite space in Paréa because I like them all, but if I had to choose, I would pick the café, because I like chatting and sharing drinks with people, and the garden, because I enjoy harvesting fruits and vegetables. I also like working in Paréa Prints, as it is a new experience for me and it has taught me how to screen-print on t-shirts. Even as a tailor, this space has taught me new things that I did not know before.
Abdullah from Syria
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Meet Our Partner: TerraPsy
TerraPsy provides psychological and psychosocial support for families: children, teenagers and parents. Every day, their multidisciplinary team and cultural mediators organize workshops — using art therapy, discussion groups, and other psycho-pedagogical techniques — as well as individual consultations.
These are crucial in supporting children in the development of their emotional regulation, social skills and psychomotor skills. They also provide support for parents by recreating a calm and secure space to share their difficulties and work on the development of parenting skills.
Since psychological support for children is scarce on Lesvos, TerraPsy plays a vital role in filling this critical gap in essential services for families on the move.
Welcome to Our Space: Screen Printing Workshop
Meet Paréa Prints, our newest space at the community center! Launched in May, this screen-printing workshop teaches people on the move how to design, prepare screens, mix inks and print on textiles and paper.
The goal is to build a social business that creates high-quality products while offering practical training and work experience. Participants are involved in every step of the process, transforming their ideas into products that help support Paréa’s community activities.
This month, Paréa Prints took its first big step outside the workshop, printing custom ΛΕΣΒΟΣ t-shirts live at the Queer Ranch festival. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with new people and to see our prints out in the world for the very first time!
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