The wave of illegal arrivals in 2007 has put enormous strain on this island of 35,000 better known as a tourist resort and the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras.

While Greece is investing in security, only one lawyer is available to help refugees here with legal aid and asylum requests. That lawyer, Dimitrios Vouros, said late last year that only 7 of the 4,469 migrants passing through detention had asked for asylum. That was the same number of requests as in 2006, when the number of arrivals was one-third the size.

While United Nations leaflets that explain asylum procedures are available in many languages, Vouros said, some migrants believe they stand a better chance if they wait to apply in Athens. Ireni Tremouli, the detention centre’s social worker, said many did not understand the gravity of their situation, focusing only on being released.