Gianni Cipriano Photography | Archive

  • Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • About
  • Contact
  • PORTFOLIO
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
Next
422 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in front of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between th
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in the Grand Bazaar, where he currently works, in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Containers storing histology blocks of migrant tissue samples and blood for forensic examination are seen here in the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Daniele Daricello, an autopsy technician of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, opens a freezer containing bone samples of migrants who died in shipwrecks, here the laboratory of the department in Palermo , Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Daniele Daricello, an autopsy technician of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, opens a freezer containing bone samples of migrants who died in shipwrecks, here the laboratory of the department in Palermo , Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ROSOLINI, ITALY - 22 SEPTEMBER 2016: Gravestones of unidentified migrants are seen here in the cemetery of Rosolini, Italy, on September 22nd 2016.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160922_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 21 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym), shuffles through the files of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck for which he was assigned to identify 24 victims, in his office here in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 21st 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are mo
    CIPG_20160921_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • Passengers get on the last Trinacria train. The Trinacria express train is a historical train from Palermo, Sicily, to Milan, symbol of the emigration from South to the North.  From December 11th 2011 16 train connecting Southern Italy to the North will be cancelled by Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator in Italy. ### I passeggeri salgono sull'ultimo treno Trinacria. Il Trinacria è un treno storico che ha collegato Palermo e Milano, simbolo dell'emigrazione verso Nord. Dall'11 dicembre 2011 16 treni che collegano il Sud al Nord Italia verranno soppressi da Trenitalia.
    OnOff_CIG_2011_12_Trinacria_D-009.jpg
  • 8 May 2012, Palermo, Italy. Alberto Nicolino, a 41 years old actor, poses after performing "Orlando furioso raccontato dal mago Atlante" at the Nuovo Montevergini theatre in Palermo, Italy. Alberto, originally from Cinisello Balsamo (Milan), arrived in Palermo in 2004. ### 8 maggio 2012, Palermo, Italy. Alberto Nicolino, un attore di 41 anni, posa dopo aver interpretato "Orlando furioso raccontato dal mago Atlante" al teatro del Nuovo Montevergini a Palermo. Alberto, originario di Cinisello Balsamo (MI), si è trasferito a Palermo nel 2004.
    CIPG_20120508_D-REPUBBLICA_Immigrati...jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A residents of Como attends Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2034.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1903.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Fofana Abdoulaye, a 31-years old migrant fro the Ivory Coast whose fream was to become a politician, is seen here by Lake Como in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2547.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A group of migrants from Guinea sit on a wall by Lake Como in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2511.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A Sub-Saharan migrant (left) is seen here sitting by Lake Como while tourists enjoy the water, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2437.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A seaplane is seen here of the Lake Como as it is prepared to take off, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2409.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Sandra Obodo (center, 26), a Nigerian migrant, is seen here as one friend braids her hair and another sleeps at her foot, in the center ran by priest Giusto della Valle in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Ms. Obodo said she crossed over from Libya nine months ago after escaping retribution murders at home and that a second boat she departed with was lost at sea.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2152.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giusto Della Valle, a local priest who since 2011 has run a center on the outskirts of town where more than 50 migrants sleep at night, walks up the stairs of the center, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2135.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A blackboard used for Italian lessons for the migrants hosted in the center ran by the priest Giusto della Valle, is seen here in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2124.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giusto Della Valle, a local priest who since 2011 has run a center on the outskirts of town where more than 50 migrants sleep at night, walks up the stairs of the center with a migrant he hosts, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2109.jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016:  Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Siracusa, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migran
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The  gravestone of Musaab Shabani (Victim #9), a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after being replaced by a new gravestone bearing the victim's name in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: A pantograph engraves the name of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, on his new gravestone here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Roberto Gibilisco (60)  cuts the marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Raffaele Gibilisco (35)  cuts the marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: The marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is cut here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Raffaele Gibilisco (35)  prepares the marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 11 NOVEMBER 2016: An operator of the Scientific Police of Palermo extracts a DNA sample in the laboratory of the Scientific Police in Palermo, Italy, on November 11th 2016.  After receiving the corpses of migrants who died in shipwrecks, coroners and operators of the Scientific Police and of the Department of Legal Medicine of the University of Palermo prepare a report of post-mortem data consisting of identifying information, including height, sex and approximate age. Any tattoos, scars, birthmarks or other distinguishing characteristics should be noted and DNA and bone samples taken as well as dental records. All of this information would then be given to a public prosecutor’s office to begin an investigation. <br />
<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161107_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 11 NOVEMBER 2016: An example of a DNA profile is show here on a monitor in the laboratory of the Scientific Police in Palermo, Italy, on November 11th 2016.  After receiving the corpses of migrants who died in shipwrecks, coroners and operators of the Scientific Police and of the Department of Legal Medicine of the University of Palermo prepare a report of post-mortem data consisting of identifying information, including height, sex and approximate age. Any tattoos, scars, birthmarks or other distinguishing characteristics should be noted and DNA and bone samples taken as well as dental records. All of this information would then be given to a public prosecutor’s office to begin an investigation. <br />
<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161107_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in front of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between th
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: A microscope and a freezer containing bone samples of migrants who died in shipwrecks are seen here in the laboratory of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Pyrex containers containing femur cross-sections of migrants who died in shipwrecks are seen here in the laboratory of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Pyrex containers containing femur cross-sections of migrants who died in shipwrecks are seen here in the laboratory of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 24 SEPTEMBER 2016: The numbered gravestones of unidentified victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck are seen here in the cemetery of Sortino, Italy, on September 24th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160924_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 23 SEPTEMBER 2016: Marina Mina (40), a transator of the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) that worked with policeman Angelo Milazzo in the identification process of 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Siracusa, Italy, on September 23rd 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160923_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 23 SEPTEMBER 2016: Marina Mina (40), a transator of the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) that worked with policeman Angelo Milazzo in the identification process of 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Siracusa, Italy, on September 23rd 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160923_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 23 SEPTEMBER 2016: Marina Mina (40), a transator of the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) that worked with policeman Angelo Milazzo in the identification process of 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Siracusa, Italy, on September 23rd 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160923_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ROSOLINI, ITALY - 22 SEPTEMBER 2016: Gravestones of unidentified migrants are seen here in the cemetery of Rosolini, Italy, on September 22nd 2016.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160922_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 22 SEPTEMBER 2016: Objects such as maps, flags,  compasses and personal belongings of migrants recovered from smugglers' boats are stored here in a deposit of the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 22nd 2016.<br />
<br />
The Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C.) assigned policeman Angelo Milazzo the identification of 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160922_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 22 SEPTEMBER 2016: An envelope containing the personal belongings of Victim #13 of the August 24th shipwreck is seen here in the office of the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 22nd 2016.<br />
<br />
The Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C.) assigned policeman Angelo Milazzo the identification of 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160922_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 21 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in his office here in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 21st 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,50
    CIPG_20160921_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 21 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, works at his computer in his office here in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 21st 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,5
    CIPG_20160921_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 21 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym), shuffles through the files of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck for which he was assigned to identify 24 victims, in his office here in the Court House of Siracusa, Italy, on September 21st 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are mo
    CIPG_20160921_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • Giuseppe Villani and Modica Ersilia, a couple from the Sicilian town of Agrigento, are on the last Trinacria train going to Modena to visit their daughter who has emigrated years ago. The Trinacria express train is a historical train from Palermo, Sicily, to Milan, symbol of the emigration from South to the North.  From December 11th 2011 16 train connecting Southern Italy to the North will be cancelled by Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator in Italy. ### Giuseppe Villani e Modica Ersilia, una coppia di Agrigento, sono sull'ultimo treno Trinacria per andare a visitare la figlia che abita a Modena. Il Trinacria è un treno storico che ha collegato Palermo e Milano, simbolo dell'emigrazione verso Nord. Dall'11 dicembre 2011 16 treni che collegano il Sud al Nord Italia verranno soppressi da Trenitalia.
    OnOff_CIG_2011_12_Trinacria_D-024.jpg
  • The interior of the last Trinacria train. The Trinacria express train is a historical train from Palermo, Sicily, to Milan, symbol of the emigration from South to the North.  From December 11th 2011 16 train connecting Southern Italy to the North will be cancelled by Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator in Italy. ### L'interno dell'ultimo treno Trinacria. Il Trinacria è un treno storico che ha collegato Palermo e Milano, simbolo dell'emigrazione verso Nord. Dall'11 dicembre 2011 16 treni che collegano il Sud al Nord Italia verranno soppressi da Trenitalia.
    OnOff_CIG_2011_12_Trinacria_D-020.jpg
  • A display shows the destination ofon the last Trinacria train. The Trinacria express train is a historical train from Palermo, Sicily, to Milan, symbol of the emigration from South to the North.  From December 11th 2011 16 train connecting Southern Italy to the North will be cancelled by Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator in Italy. ### Un display mostra la destinazione dell'ultimo treno Trinacria. Il Trinacria è un treno storico che ha collegato Palermo e Milano, simbolo dell'emigrazione verso Nord. Dall'11 dicembre 2011 16 treni che collegano il Sud al Nord Italia verranno soppressi da Trenitalia.
    OnOff_CIG_2011_12_Trinacria_D-006.jpg
  • A monitor displays the departure times of trains leaving from the Palermo train station. The Trinacria express train is a historical train from Palermo, Sicily, to Milan, symbol of the emigration from South to the North.  From December 11th 2011 16 train connecting Southern Italy to the North will be cancelled by Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator in Italy. ### Un monitor indica gli orari delle partenze dei treni dalla stazione di Palermo. Il Trinacria è un treno storico che ha collegato Palermo e Milano, simbolo dell'emigrazione verso Nord. Dall'11 dicembre 2011 16 treni che collegano il Sud al Nord Italia verranno soppressi da Trenitalia.
    OnOff_CIG_2011_12_Trinacria_D-001.jpg
  • 12 May 2012, Palermo. Nina Melan, a 35 years old restorer and graphic designer, spends her spare time on her terrace by corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the historical center of Palermo, Italy. Nina, originally from Milan, arrived in Palermo in 2009. ### 12 maggio 2012, Palermo. Nina Melan, una restauratrice e grafica di 35 anni, trascorre il proprio tempo libero sulla sua terrazza nei pressi di Corso Vittorio Emanuele, nel centro storico di Palermo.Nina, originaria di Milano, è arrivata a Palermo nel 2009.
    CIPG_20120512_D-REPUBBLICA_Immigrati...jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Technicians unmount a table at the end of Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2026.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como gather at a gazebo at Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2011.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017:  Mario Landriscina (left), the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center, poses for a portrait in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2008.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017:  Mario Landriscina (left), the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center, poses for a portrait in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1994.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017:  Mario Landriscina (left), the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center, answers questions at a journalist at the end of his rally in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1976.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017:  Mario Landriscina (left), the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center, answers questions at a journalist at the end of his rally in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1974.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giorgia Meloni (right), leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party, takes a selfie with a supporter at the end of Mr Landriscina's rally in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1941.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1899.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1883.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A view of Como, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170622_NYT_Como__M3_2608.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A view of Lake in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2598.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Fofana Abdoulaye, a 31-years old migrant fro the Ivory Coast whose fream was to become a politician, poses for a portrait here by Lake Como in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2572.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Fofana Abdoulaye, a 31-years old migrant fro the Ivory Coast whose fream was to become a politician, is seen here by Lake Como in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2559.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Fofana Abdoulaye, a 31-years old migrant fro the Ivory Coast whose fream was to become a politician, is seen here by Lake Como in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2525.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A bicycle used by a migrant hosted in the center ran by priest Giusto della Valle is seen here as its owner chats with a friend, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2289.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giusto Della Valle, a local priest who since 2011 has run a center on the outskirts of town where more than 50 migrants sleep at night, carries a basket of home-grown beans in the center, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2283.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: The Abillah family, a family of Afghani migrants who children were all born in Europe, poses for a portrait in the migrant center ran by priest Giusto della Valle  in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2251.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: A teenager from Kosovo who immigrated to Italy 14 years ago is seen here playing soccer in the playground of the migrant center ran by priest Giusto della Valle in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2203.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Sandra Obodo (left), 26), a Nigerian migrant, is seen here as one friend braids her hair  in the center ran by priest Giusto della Valle in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Ms. Obodo said she crossed over from Libya nine months ago after escaping retribution murders at home and that a second boat she departed with was lost at sea.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2169.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Sandra Obodo (left), 26), a Nigerian migrant, is seen here as one friend braids her hair  in the center ran by priest Giusto della Valle in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Ms. Obodo said she crossed over from Libya nine months ago after escaping retribution murders at home and that a second boat she departed with was lost at sea.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2156.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giusto Della Valle, a local priest who since 2011 has run a center on the outskirts of town where more than 50 migrants sleep at night, is seen here in the locker room with the locker doors warped from break-ins, in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2128.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: The room where a woman and her two small children slept in last night and in which 24 teenagers slept until May, is seen here in the center ran by the priest Giusto della Valle in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2116.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017:  Mario Landriscina (left), the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center, poses for a portrait in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_2008.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Flyers of Giorgia Meloni (leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party) and of Mario Landriscina (the leading candidate for Mayor of Como who wants to close the migrants reception center), are seen here at Mr Landriscina's rally in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1945.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Giorgia Meloni (left), leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party, takes a selfie with a supporter at the end of Mr Landriscina's rally in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1938.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1903.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1899.jpg
  • COMO, ITALY - 21 JUNE 2017: Residents of Como attend Mario Landriscina's rally,  the leading candidate for mayor of Como after the first round of voting to replace the left-leaning mayor, here at the Broletto, a medieval building next to the Cathedral in Como, Italy, on June 21st 2017. Mr Landriscina wants to close the reception centers.<br />
<br />
Residents of Como are worried that funds redirected to migrants deprived the town’s handicapped of services and complained that any protest prompted accusations of racism.<br />
<br />
Throughout Italy, run-off mayoral elections on Sunday will be considered bellwethers for upcoming national elections and immigration has again emerged as a burning issue.<br />
<br />
Italy has registered more than 70,000 migrants this year, 27 percent more than it did by this time in 2016, when a record 181,000 migrants arrived. Waves of migrants continue to make the perilous, and often fatal, crossing to southern Italy from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, seeing Italy as the gateway to Europe.<br />
<br />
While migrants spoke of their appreciation of Italy’s humanitarian efforts to save them from the Mediterranean Sea, they also expressed exhaustion with the country’s intricate web of permits and papers and European rules that required them to stay in the country that first documented them.
    CIPG_20170621_NYT_Como__M3_1883.jpg
  • PALERMO ITALY - 7 NOVEMBER 2016: A handwritten reproduction of the report of police officer Angelo Milazzo on the identification process for Musaab Shabani (in picture), a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in Palermo, Italy, on November 7th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161227_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO ITALY - 7 NOVEMBER 2016: Photographs of the Facebook profile pictures of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, are seen here in Palermo, Italy, on November 7th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161226_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO ITALY - 7 NOVEMBER 2016: A projection on water of the Facebook profile picture of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in Palermo, Italy, on November 7th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161214_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016:  Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Siracusa, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migran
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SORTINO, ITALY - 9 NOVEMBER 2016: The new gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is seen here in the cemetery of Sortino after replaceing the anonymous gravestone marked with the number "9", in Sortino, Italy, on November 9th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161109_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: The digital file that will be used by the pantograph that will engrave the name of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, into his gravestone, is displayed here on the monitor of the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Roberto Gibilisco (60)  cuts the marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Raffaele Gibilisco (35)  cuts the marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: The marble that will be used for the gravestone of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, is cut here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Claudia Gibilisco (27) designs the digital file that will be used by the pantograph that will engrave the name of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, into his gravestone, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • SIRACUSA, ITALY - 8 NOVEMBER 2016: Claudia Gibilisco (27) designs the digital file that will be used by the pantograph that will engrave the name of Musaab Shabani, a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, into his gravestone, here at the Gibilisco marble-worker's workshop in Siracusa, Italy, on November 8th 2016.<br />
<br />
Musaab Shabani was buried in the cemetery of Sortino, marked by a gravestone with the number nine because at the time he hadn't been identified yet. He was later identified by his brother Abd thanks to the efforts of policeman Angelo Milazzo. Since then, Abd has arranged to have a gravestone made bearing his brother’s name and date and place of birth as well as a religious inscription in Arabic, bringing a final bit of closure to this tragic chapter. <br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161108_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 11 NOVEMBER 2016: Freezers containing bone, tissue and DNA samples of migrants are seen here in the laboratory of the Scientific Police in Palermo, Italy, on November 11th 2016.  After receiving the corpses of migrants who died in shipwrecks, coroners and operators of the Scientific Police and of the Department of Legal Medicine of the University of Palermo prepare a report of post-mortem data consisting of identifying information, including height, sex and approximate age. Any tattoos, scars, birthmarks or other distinguishing characteristics should be noted and DNA and bone samples taken as well as dental records. All of this information would then be given to a public prosecutor’s office to begin an investigation. <br />
<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161107_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 11 NOVEMBER 2016: An operator of the Scientific Police of Palermo extracts a DNA sample in the laboratory of the Scientific Police in Palermo, Italy, on November 11th 2016.  After receiving the corpses of migrants who died in shipwrecks, coroners and operators of the Scientific Police and of the Department of Legal Medicine of the University of Palermo prepare a report of post-mortem data consisting of identifying information, including height, sex and approximate age. Any tattoos, scars, birthmarks or other distinguishing characteristics should be noted and DNA and bone samples taken as well as dental records. All of this information would then be given to a public prosecutor’s office to begin an investigation. <br />
<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20161107_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in front of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between th
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in front of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between th
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • ISTANBUL, TURKEY - 28 SEPTEMBER 2016: Abd Shabani (23), a Syrian refugee and brother of Musaab Shabani (a victim of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea), poses for a portrait in the Grand Bazaar, where he currently works, in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 28th 2016.<br />
<br />
When Musaab Shababi left for Europe, Abd chose to stay behind in Turkey, where the brothers had sought refuge after the uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad began. Two days after the boat that was supposed to carry Musaab Shabani to Italy sank, his brother Abd started to worry. The last time he heard anything from Musaab was on the night that he set out. After the smugglers informed him it was time to leave, Musaab had sent Abd one last text. “I have just one favor to ask you,” it read. “If anything happens to me… you take care of [my son].” <br />
<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination
    CIPG_20160928_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migra
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Angelo Milazzo (57), a local policeman in Siracusa formerly working in the Interagency Task Force for Combating Illegal Migration (or G.I.C.I.C., by its Italian acronym) who was assigned to identify the 24 victims of the August 24th 2014 shipwreck, poses for a portrait in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016.<br />
<br />
On August 24th 2014, a boat carrying more than 400 migrants, departed from the coasts of Libya in the attempt to reach Italy, capsized in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers of the Italian Navy saved 352 people, and recovered 24 lifeless bodies.<br />
<br />
Milazzo asked the public prosecutor for permission to open a Facebook profile under the name “SIRIA-GICIC.”  Relying on the descriptions of the bodies contained in the forensic reports, the photos taken on board the rescue ships and during the examinations, and on the collection of personal items that were found along with the corpses, he would work backwards from these slivers to try to arrive at the living people who once animated the now anonymous cadavers. Facebook, he hoped, would help him get the information he needed from the families of the missing to identify the bodies and allow him to inform their relatives of the death.<br />
<br />
The SIRIA-GICIC profile page on Facebook was created on October 10th, 2014, nearly two months after the shipwreck. At the time, 18 of the 24 bodies were still unidentified. Within a few months, Angelo Milazzo was able to identify all 24 bodies.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migra
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: A freezer containing bone samples of migrants who died in shipwrecks are seen here in the laboratory of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
  • PALERMO, ITALY - 26 SEPTEMBER 2016: Pyrex containers containing femur cross-sections of migrants who died in shipwrecks are seen here in the laboratory of the Department of Forencic Medicine at the Policlino Hospital in Palermo, Italy, on September 26th 2016. Samples of DNA and bones are taken after bodies of migrants are recovered at sea for forensic examination that will lead to their identification. The analysis of femur sections determines the age range of the victims.<br />
<br />
Following the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, including Gaddafi’s death and Libya’s plunge towards chaos, clandestine crossings skyrocketed, as did the number of people drowning. In 2014 over 170,000 arrived in Italy and since then more than 10,000 perished in the Mediterranean sea.<br />
<br />
Only a fraction of these bodies have ever been recovered, and, of the ones that have, the majority remain unidentified. In Sicily alone there are more than 1,500 graves of anonymous refugees and migrants–people from Syria and other war torn countries–who have drowned in shipwrecks at sea.<br />
<br />
Despite the decades long persistence of the problem, Italy has yet to develop a comprehensive approach to handling the bodies of shipwreck victims. Many pieces of a functional body identification system are in place, but its overall effectiveness is crippled by a lack of coordination between the various local agencies involved and national authorities.
    CIPG_20160926_WIRED_BodyIdentificati...jpg
Next