During a visit in October, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin described the new refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos as a "European model" for the reception of asylum seekers. The EU-funded Samos camp is closed and isolated – a far cry from overwhelmed reception centres such as the Moria camp on Lesbos, which was nicknamed the "camp of shame". But the asylum procedure remains lengthy and refugees are surrounded by barbed wire and video surveillance. Meanwhile, migrants trying to make the sea crossing to Europe still face a perilous journey. On October 27, three children drowned off the coast of Chios when their dinghy sank. Our correspondents report.