
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – May 1, 2017 – Carlos Farmer and Valeria Huyke kiss as their are being arrested in front of a military recruitment office during violent protests on May 1st’ national strike. Protestors called for an audit of Puerto Rico’s outstanding debt of more than $70 USD billion and rejected austerity measures imposed by the the Financial Oversight and Management Board for island. (photo/José E. Jiménez-Tirado)

Libyan fishermen throw a lifejacket at a rubber boat full of migrants. In the vast majority of cases, smugglers to not provide migrants with life jackets. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts.

The body of a migrant found floating at sea. The unidentified man was found with a rescue organisation’s life jacket on, meaning he most probably was lost at sea during his rescue. From decomposition signs, the Red Cross doctor on board estimated that he had been at sea for at least 4 days. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts. © Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS.eu 2016, all rights reserved.

Migrants are seen inside the hold of a large wooden boat where over 500 people, mostly Eritreans and East Africans, were attempting to cross the mediterranean sea 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts. © Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS.eu 2016, all rights reserved.

Rubber boat full of migrants as life jackets are being distributed by the MOAS crew. As they often don’t have life jackets and do not know how to swim, the first priority if making sure everybody is given a floatation device. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts.

Doctor Alberto, moments after calling the death of an Eritrean man. 20 minutes of CPR, multiple discharges from a defibrillator and multiple shots of adrenaline didn’t bring him back. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts.

Rubber boat full of migrants after life jackets were distributed by the MOAS crew, before the process of transferring them to the rescue craft begins. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts.

Two men panic and struggle in the water during their rescue. Their rubber boat was in distress and deflating quickly on one side, tipping many migrants in the water. They were quickly reached by rescue swimmers and brought to safety. 2016 was a deadly year of migrants and refugees trying to cross the mediterranean from Libya’s coasts to Italy’s. With ever increasing numbers of unseaworthy boats attempting the crossing, charities and NGOs like MOAS are often overwhelmed. MOAS, together with medicals teams from the red cross, operates two rescue vessels, the Responder and the Phoenix, just off the coast of Libya. They sit in international waters and await either the distress call from migrants lucky enough to have been given a satellite phone by their smuggler, or to visually find migrants boats – often in the dead of night. Then the race to rescue them before it too late starts. © Mathieu Willcocks/MOAS.eu 2016, all rights reserved.