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The bucolic Greek island of Lesvos, located just a few miles off the coast of Turkey, has in recent years become one of the epicenters of the global refugee crisis. Since 2014, more than 1 million refugees have sought safety in Greece; today, tens of thousands remain stranded in refugee camps amid the olive groves of Lesvos. In this episode of Crossing Borders, we’ll hear from a few of those refugees as well as the dedicated lawyers who are trying to help them navigate Europe’s complex legal system.

Crossing Borders is a new podcast series that takes you inside the experience of being a refugee, and into the work of HIAS, an organization which is helping refugees around the world find safety and rebuild their lives.Come with us -- to South America, to the Mediteranean, to Africa -- and get to know refugees and some of the people who are trying to help them. Crossing Borders, listen now.

In recent years, South America has experienced the largest refugee movement in that continent’s history. More than five million Venezuelans have fled economic, social and political instability, straining the resources and patience of neighboring countries. In this episode we’ll hear stories of people from Venezuela who are trying to restart their lives in Ecuador.

The COVID pandemic has upended the lives of people all around the world, but it poses particular dangers to refugees, many of whom live in overcrowded conditions, without the legal status of regular citizens. When travel and economic restrictions lead to job loss, many of these already vulnerable people are unable to afford food, rent or other necessities.