African refugees and migrants have arrived in Malta in their thousands over the past decade and Reuters photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi has been covering the story with unwavering passion. This package showcases 10 years of his coverage of the crisis.
Up to 900 people died when a single boat went down on April 19, 2015 off the Libyan coast, apparently the highest death toll ever among migrants who are trafficked across the Mediterranean in tens of thousands in rickety vessels. The death toll caused shock in Europe, where a decision to scale back naval operations last year seems to have increased the risks for migrants without reducing their numbers. The European Union is expected at an emergency summit on Thursday to reverse the cutback in its Mediterranean search and rescue operations but to take little other concrete action to end the crisis.
