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Although Greece has been a pathway of human movement to Europe throughout many eras, the notion of “refugee crisis” was not really associated with the country until the striking influx of humanitarian migrants from Turkey during the summer of 2015, and especially until 2016, when the EU deployed its own frontline solution to the predicament - the Reception and Identification Centers (RICs) - across five different islands. The new reception model, financed by the EU and deployed by the Greek State, framed under the concept of hospitality, eventually devolved into an inhumane reception model, with centers turning into makeshift camps where asylum seekers are left in limbo for months or years awaiting asylum, resettlement, or deportation while living in conditions well below Sphere standards. When the harsh reality of RICs came to light, NGOs on the islands had to make a decision. They could either refuse to support the campgrounds and contest the model designed by unjust EU and Greek State regulations, or provide humanitarian aid to cover residents’ immediate needs, guaranteeing at least their survival, while contributing to the continuation of the present reception model.This thesis examines the necessity of humanitarian organizations to operate inside the islands where RICs are located, using the case of Samos and Lesvos, in opposition to their role in enabling the perpetuation of an inhumane reception model towards asylum seekers. It does so with the support of a theoretical framework based on political realism and its realpolitik application, and with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with former RICs’ residents. The findings of this study reveal the legitimate urgency of humanitarian action within RICs as well as the degree to which it affects the perpetuation of an inhumane reception model. Furthermore, the study findings highlight significant conclusions about the EU´s use of non-entrée politics to strategically effect deterrence on the high seas, the Greek State´s role in deliberately harshening the stay for RICs’ residents, the limited capacity of external NGOs on the islands in covering the residents’ unfulfilled needs, or the factual living experience at the RICs in Samos and Lesvos, which is not well-documented due to prohibitions on journalism and non-disclosure agreements imposed by the State. This study contributes to the understanding of forced migration dynamics in the Greek islands as well as its connection with humanitarian responses.