ENHANCING THE VOICES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY THE EU’S POLICIES ON MIGRATION AND ASYLUM Introduction (mis)conceptions underlying them, by emphasising the lived experiences of refugees, with a core focus on the reasons and choices people make throughout their journeys. Regarding the structure, the first section highlights the methodology and some of the main demographic data of the persons interviewed as part of this brief. The second section focuses on the reasons people leave their countries and on whether they have the means to do so in a safe and legal manner. In a similar vein, the third section subsequently addresses the reasons people choose to move onwards to the EU once in a transit country that EU member states consider to be safe. The fourth and final section provides data on some of the reasons leading people to move onwards once they are in the EU, and specifically Greece, and on what they themselves consider would support them in the effort to settle and (re)establish an independent life. 6 Lastly it needs to be stressed that for all intents and purposes this brief does not claim to provide a holistic, definitive or even representative account of the issues examined. It does, however, aim to provide some initial indications on the potential effectiveness of the current policy approach encountered throughout the EU and seemingly consolidated by the pact, with the aim of serving as a first step in a wider endeavour, and of incentivising EU policymakers to reflect on the experiences of refugees and migrants when drafting policies in their name, for the purpose of ensuring these are grounded on and directed at sustainable solutions for the benefit of all.