Getty Images photographer Chris McGrath recently spent about two weeks with crew members aboard the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) Phoenix vessel as they patrolled the Mediterranean between Italy and Libya. During several missions, the crew rescued hundreds of migrants, some from capsized vessels—and recovered dozens of bodies from the sea. The United Nations estimates that more than 65,000 migrants have arrived in Europe this year so far from Africa and the Middle East, about one-third as many as arrived in 2016 by the same date. The large part of that decrease is due to tighter restrictions nearly cutting off migrants entering through Greece. As migrants move to other, more dangerous routes, the death toll has climbed to more than 1,500 so far this year—more than 2016, despite the significant decrease in overall numbers.
Desperate Migrants Risk Everything in Deadly Mediterranean Crossings
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Refugees and migrants swim towards a rescue craft as a rescue crew member of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) Phoenix vessel pulls a man on board after a wooden boat bound for Italy carrying more than 500 people capsized on May 24, 2017, off Lampedusa, Italy. #
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Refugees and migrants put on life jackets distributed by rescue crews of the MOAS Phoenix on May 24, 2017, off Lampedusa, Italy. The boat, one of three in the area later capsized killing more than 30 people. Crew members from the 'Phoenix' rescued 603 people. #
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Refugees and migrants are seen swimming and yelling for assistance from crew members from the MOAS Phoenix, after a wooden boat bound for Italy capsized on May 24, 2017. #
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Click to view imageThe bodies of two babies lie on a table as a paramedic tries to save the life of a third child, who later died, after they were pulled from the sea by rescue crews from the MOAS Phoenix on May 24, 2017, off Lampedusa, Italy. #
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The body of a man is seen floating in the water as rescue crews from the MOAS Phoenix collected bodies of those who drowned at sea after a wooden boat bound for Italy capsized with more than 500 people on board on May 24, 2017, off Lampedusa, Italy. #
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A member of the medical staff of the MOAS Phoenix walks past bodies of migrants and refugees who drowned when their wooden boat partially capsized on May 24, 2017. #
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Refugees and migrants aboard the MOAS Phoenix on May 26, 2017, off Crotone, Italy. The refugees and migrants are being transferred to a port in Italy after being rescued at sea by crew members of the Phoenix. #
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The body of a migrant who died at sea attempting to reach Italy on May 24 is carried off the MOAS Phoenix by Italian forensic teams on May 27, 2017, in Crotone, Italy. More than 600 refugees and migrants were transferred to Italy after being rescued at sea on May 24, by crew members of the Phoenix. #
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A member of the Italian Red Cross wheels a coffin containing the body of a migrant who died at sea on May 24 after the MOAS Phoenix disembarked more than 600 people on May 27, 2017, in Crotone, Italy. #
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A MOAS crew member checks images relayed from a surveillance aircraft during an early morning patrol aboard the MOAS Phoenix on May 16, 2017, in the SAR region, Italy. #
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A small rubber boat overcrowded with refugees and migrants passes a boat set alight by rescue crews of the MOAS Phoenix after all passengers were rescued on May 18, 2017. The boats are often burned to prevent them from being recovered and used again by smugglers. #
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