There was little sign of preparation on either side of the Aegean less than 24 hours before Greece was due to begin returning migrants to Turkey, and Greek and Turkish officials gave conflicting information on the logistics of the plan.
The returns are a key part of an agreement between the European Union and Turkey aimed at ending the uncontrollable influx into Europe of refugees and migrants fleeing war and misery in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Under the deal, those who cross into Greece illegally will be held and sent back once their asylum applications are processed. For every Syrian returned, one Syrian will be re-settled to Europe directly from Turkey.
So far, more than 6,000 migrants and refugees have been registered on Greek islands since 20 March, the date on which the agreement came into force. Where they will depart from, to where they will be sent, and even how many people will be taken back to Turkey under this deal tomorrow, remains unclear.
Today, there were few signs that Lesbos, the island hundreds of thousands of people passed through on their way to northern Europe, was getting ready to send back migrants. A police spokesman said the force was still awaiting instructions.
Across the Aegean in the coastal town of Dikili, which a Turkish official said would receive refugees sent back from Greece, just two room-size tents were set up on the pier of its cramped port yesterday. Two portable toilets were installed nearby.
Further south, four small blue tents were set up on the town of Cesme for those sent back from the Greek island of Chios.
Turkey's interior minister, Efkan Ala, was quoted by the pro-government newspaper Aksam as saying 500 people were expected in Turkey from Greece tomorrow. Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis would be deported to their countries, he said.
The Athens News Agency reported over the weekend that the returns would begin tomorrow morning on two Turkish passenger ships chartered by Frontex, the EU border agency.
Some 250 people would be returned each day through Wednesday, the report said, without citing sources.
"Planning is in progress," George Kyritsis, a Greek government spokesman for the migration crisis said.
Mr Kyritsis said returns would take place tomorrow, "barring any massive hurdle which cannot be overcome" but they would not be of people who have applied for asylum. The numbers being floated "had come out of thin air," he said.
