“Refugees Were Turning Themselves Over to Smugglers”: Reporting From the Deadliest Migration Route in the World

I landed in Palermo, the capital of the southern Italian island of Sicily, in December, 2019—right in the run-up to Christmas. My first view of the Alan Kurdi rescue ship came the following afternoon. I recognized it from its shape, the white and black paint familiar from news reports, though smaller than I expected. On one side shone a small Christmas tree, flashing green and red lights—a reminder that others were on holidays. The Alan Kurdi was operated by German charity Sea-Eye. It took its name from a Syrian boy who drowned seeking safety in 2015. The image of the… Read Full Article