Unlike the media frenzy surrounding the finding of little Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish shore, the discovery of the two children washed up on the beach in front of a hotel on the island of Kos received very little reaction.
The partially-decomposed body of the younger child, believed to be between the ages of six months and 12 months old, was found on the beach in front of the hotel, wearing green trousers and a white t-shirt. A short time later, a second child, about three to five years old was found, wearing blue trousers and a pink top, according to the IB Times.
These latest discoveries mark a black period in the immigration crisis. Speaking of the recovery of 95 bodies in Tripoli and the western city of Sabartha, Red Crescent spokesperson Mohamed al-Masrati told the Associated Press most of the deceased appeared to be from other African countries.
While it was not clear how they had died, high winds and rough seas were reported off the Italian coast this past week, a lethal mix for refugees in small unstable boats. There are now fears of even more deaths as winter approaches and the weather deteriorates in the region.
Greece has been on the front lines in this migrant crisis, with 1743 people rescued in 57 separate operations by the Greek Coast Guard over the weekend. It’s estimated that 630,000 immigrants have entered the European Union illegally this year.
Over 310,000 immigrants have landed in Greece while 3,000 others have died or disappeared making what is called the central route crossing. The central crossing is a route from Libya to southern Italy, and involves a longer navigation in open seas, as compared to the shorter crossing from Turkey to Greece.
