Migrant boats wreck

A number of boats carrying refugees heading to Europe wrecked during three days in May, killing 700 to 900 people, as well as in June.

At least 100 people went missing off the coast of Libya after a boat packed with refugees capsized on May 25. From that boat, 562 people were rescued. At least 550 are missing from a boat that capsized on May 26 after leaving Libya. On May 27, when a ship wrecked south of Italy, 45 were killed and an unknown number went missing, with 135 migrants rescued. 

On June 2, at least 100 refugees were killed when their boat capsized off the coast of Libya, and four people were killed and 300 were rescued after their ship sank near Crete.

More than 13,000 refugees and migrants were rescued by European Union ships in the Mediterranean in the week of May 22-28 plus an additional 4,000 on June 2, alone. Since Greece and Turkey struck a deal that stemmed the flow of migrants across their borders, the Mediterranean route into Europe has become more popular.