Harrowing image of migrant tragedy that shocked Europe – as thousands still die trying to reach continent: Ten years after Alan Kurdi washed up dead in Turkey, how the EU has failed to tackle migrant crisis
Ten years ago this week, on September 2, the world awoke to shocking news that would come to define an era of migration.
The lifeless body of Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old Syrian boy, was found washed up on a beach near the Turkish resort of Bodrum, his red T-shirt and blue shorts soaked in seawater.
He had drowned alongside his five-year-old brother, Galip, and their mother, Rehanna, as the family tried to cross into the Greek island of Kos. Their father, Abdullah Kurdi, was the only one to survive.
In another photograph that travelled across the globe, a Turkish policeman was seen carrying Alan’s limp body from the sand, his face grim, his arms stiff, the image instantly becoming a symbol of the true human cost of irregular migration.
The pictures went viral within hours, giving the world one of its first clear glimpses into the reality of the Mediterranean crossings and the desperation that drove thousands of families to risk everything on overcrowded dinghies and decrepit fishing boats.
But a decade later, despite the horror that Alan’s death symbolised, Europe is still gripped by a migrant crisis. The crossings have not stopped, the bodies are still washing ashore, and politics across the continent has lurched to the right in response.
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni has built her premiership on a promise to crack down on irregular migration. In Germany, a sweeping government crackdown has led to thousands of deportations in 2025.
In Sweden, one of Europe’s most liberal nations, tough asylum limits have been introduced after years of far-right pressure. And across the continent, from Hungary to France, hardline parties have surged in popularity on the back of anger over migration.
The lifeless body of Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old Syrian boy, was found washed up on a beach near the Turkish resort of Bodrum ten years ago this week
The pictures went viral within hours, giving the world one of its first clear glimpses into the reality of the Mediterranean crossings
He had drowned alongside his five-year-old brother, Galip, and their mother, Rehanna, as the family tried to cross into the Greek island of Kos
Just last week, 69 people died when a vessel capsized off the coast of Mauritania, a grim reminder that the decade since Alan’s death has brought political promises, sweeping reforms and billions in funding – but little change for irregular migration.
According to UNICEF, in the decade since Alan’s death, around 3,500 children have died attempting the journey to Europe.
That is the equivalent of one child dying every single day. Unlike Alan, who was travelling with his family, thousands of these children were unaccompanied minors, crossing seas and borders without parents or guardians.
The figure comes from the UN Children’s Fund and is backed by IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.
The two agencies say that the real numbers are almost certainly higher, since many deaths at sea are never recorded and bodies are never found.
Organised criminal gangs have made billions from the migrant crisis. They run smuggling routes across North Africa, Turkey and the Balkans.
Europol and other agencies say smuggling earns organised gangs billions of euros.
Organised criminal gangs have made billions from the migrant crisis. They run smuggling routes across North Africa, Turkey and the Balkans
A man wades into deep water while carrying a child on his shoulders
A family looks on dejected after they failed to board a boat
They cram migrants into unseaworthy dinghies, charge thousands of euros for a place, and push them out to sea, knowing full well many will never make it to land.
Police across Europe describe the gangs as flexible and ruthless. Every time one route is shut down, another opens. Every time one trafficker is arrested, another is ready to step in.
The EU has poured money into joint operations with Frontex, and Italian authorities have made dozens of arrests in Sicily.
But officials admit the business continues to thrive as demand remains sky high.
For those fleeing war, persecution and poverty, Europe is seen as the only hope, no matter how dangerous the journey.
Conflicts in Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan and Somalia are still driving people to flee.
Repression in Eritrea, collapse in parts of West Africa, and forced recruitment by armed groups make children especially vulnerable.
Since 2015, the International Organisation for Migration says more than 34,000 people have died or gone missing trying to reach Europe.
European Council figures show that there were 1,046,336 irregular arrivals and 4,054 fatalities in 2015 in the Mediterranean and Western African routes. In 2023, 3,711 died, while 3,393 perished in 2024. As of June this year, 1,160 have lost their lives.
Conflicts and economical downturns in several countries have forced millions of people to flee from their home nations to Europe
Since 2014, governments across Europe have poured billions of pounds into policies and deals to try curtail irregular migration
Conflicts in and unrests in countries like Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan has been a driving force for the influx of migrants arriving in Europe
Experts have stressed these are conservative estimates – the real toll is likely far higher.
In April 2015, one of the worst disasters struck when a fishing boat sank off Libya, killing an estimated 1,000 people.
In February 2023, the Cutro shipwreck in southern Italy claimed at least 94 lives, many of them children. The boat was carrying 200 passengers when it sank.
Just months later, in June 2023, a trawler capsized off Pylos, Greece. Around 600 to 650 people drowned, with only 104 survivors. The boat had a capacity of 400 people but carried an estimated 400 to 750 migrants.
In response to the tragedies, European governments have tried to slam the doors shut. The 18 March 2016 EU-Turkey deal was one of the most high-profile measures.
The agreement said that irregular arrivals on the Greek islands would be returned to Turkey in exchange for EU funding, visa concessions and political leverage for Ankara.
Amnesty International branded the deal ‘morally bankrupt,’ warning it left thousands stranded in unsafe camps while stripping them of their right to claim asylum in Europe.
In Italy, where one tiny village recorded around 7,000 arrivals in two days, has since hardened its rhetoric. Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government vowed to crush the smugglers and tighten controls.
In April 2015, one of the worst disasters struck when a fishing boat sank off Libya, killing an estimated 1,000 people
In February 2023, the Cutro shipwreck in southern Italy claimed at least 94 lives, many of them children
In June 2023, a trawler capsized off Pylos, Greece. Around 600 to 650 people drowned, with only 104 survivors
Sea-Watch accused her of escalating the crackdown after the government grounded a reconnaissance plane used to monitor crossings, saying it was an attack on humanitarian oversight in the Mediterranean.
Across Europe, the political mood has shifted – populist and far-right parties have been fuelled by the migration crisis.
In Germany, Alternative für Deutschland has surged. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz government has extended razor-wire fences.
In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally has grown stronger, and in Britain, Reform UK has surged in the polls, threatening the Conservatives’ status as the official opposition.
Human Rights Watch says migration policy has become one of the main drivers of public support for these parties.
Meanwhile, Europe’s border control machine has grown. Frontex, the EU’s border and coastguard agency, now has thousands of officers, airborne surveillance, and hundreds of millions of euros in funding.
But the European Ombudsman has repeatedly raised concerns about allegations of pushbacks and failures to help rescue boats.
Human rights groups say the agency often prioritises deterrence over saving lives.
In Britain, the controversial Rwanda asylum plan became one of the most divisive political rows of the decade
Processing and returning migrants has been a huge challenge across European countries
Official organisations say many migrants cannot be returned for legal, diplomatic, and humanitarian reasons
Returns remain a major problem. Eurostat data shows that in 2024, EU countries issued 453,840 return decisions for non-EU nationals. Only 110,385 were carried out.
UNHCR says many cannot be returned because of diplomatic, legal and humanitarian barriers, leaving them stuck in limbo.
The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, agreed in 2023, promised faster border processing, quicker returns and mandatory solidarity contributions for states unwilling to host asylum seekers.
Brussels even floated the idea of ‘return hubs’ outside EU territory. Rights groups warned that it risks creating fast-track detention centres and undermines the right to asylum.
In Britain, the controversial Rwanda asylum plan became one of the most divisive political rows of the decade.
First introduced in 2022, it aimed to deter small boat crossings by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
After years of legal battles, the UK Supreme Court ruled it unlawful in 2024. In January 2025, Labour’s Keir Starmer repealed the Safety of Rwanda Act, admitting it had failed and cost millions.
This year, the country entered into a new treaty with France, which states that any adult migrant who comes into Britain via the channel will be at risk of being returned if their asylum claim is deemed ‘inadmissible’.
In the UK, Keir Starmer scrapped the Rwandan deal, saying it had failed and had already cost the country millions
Europe has seen a rise in popularity for hard right political parties and politicians, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni
Germany has toughened its stance – deportations rose in early 2025 compared to two years earlier. In the first quarter alone, more than 6,000 people were deported
Human Rights Watch says migration policy has become one of the main drivers of public support for these parties
It has been said in the media that the deal, which affects arrivals who entered the country from August, aims to return around 50 people per week.
Germany has toughened its stance – deportations rose in early 2025 compared to two years earlier. In the first quarter alone, more than 6,000 people were deported, most of them failed asylum seekers.
The government has also increased border checks and digitalised processes, while emphasising it wants skilled workers instead of irregular arrivals.
Italy pushed through Law No. 187/2024, covering foreign workers, labour exploitation, and migration management.
But its offshore processing plan with Albania was struck down by the European Court of Justice, which ruled it violated asylum seekers’ rights.
Spain took a different route – in 2025, Madrid began reforms to regularise nearly 900,000 undocumented migrants over three years.
But at the same time, the Canary Islands saw more than 10,800 arrivals in the first few months of the year, with local officials calling for a state of emergency.
Across Europe, citizens have grown angrier. In Britain, protests erupted over migrants being housed in hotels, sparking street clashes.
Protesters were out on the streets in Northern Ireland as chaos broke out in Ballymena over migration
In August, several British and English flags began popping up across towns, in protest against illegal migration
Several anti-immigration protests have been organised in the UK
In 2025, protests were held outside hotels housing asylum seekers, with some turning violent in the UK. August saw several British and English flags pop up in English towns, in a protest against illegal migration.
In June 2025, riots broke out in Northern Ireland after two Romanian-speaking teenagers were charged with attempted rape in Ballymena.
The unrest spread across towns, leaving 56 arrested and more than 100 police officers injured.
In Spain, anti-immigration protests turned violent in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, amid anger over the housing of migrants.
The mayhem was triggered by the beating of a pensioner. Three people of North African descent were arrested.
Through all these policy reforms and proposals, the central Mediterranean route remains the deadliest migration corridor in the world. IOM says it accounts for more than half of all migrant deaths globally.
NGOs such as SOS Méditerranée and Sea-Watch have saved tens of thousands of lives since 2015.
But successive Italian governments have seized their ships, restricted ports, and allegedly threatened volunteers with prosecution, accusing them of being a ‘pull factor.’ UNHCR and IOM say this only increases deaths, not decreases departures.
A migrant holds a newborn baby as a woman lies inside a rubber boat off the Canary Island of Lanzarote
A boat carrying crammed migrants from Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan leaves Libya
At least 27 people, including a one-year-old girl and three teenagers, died last month after two migrant boats capsized off the Italian coast
The tragedies are often deeply personal – in November 2021, 28 people drowned in the English Channel when their dinghy collapsed, the deadliest incident in the English Channel since the IOM began collecting data.
In 2024, 73 people lost their lives trying to cross the Channel, according to The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.
The UN called the year the deadliest for Channel migrant deaths.
As of August 11, 20 people had died on this route in 2025, bringing the total of deaths to 249 since 2018.
Just last month, at least 27 people died, including a one-year-old girl and three teenagers, after two migrant boats capsized off Lampedusa, Italy.
There have also been many reports of pregnant women risking their lives to make the journey on several routes. In 2016, a Nigerian woman gave birth on board a rescue ship.
In 2022, a Cameroonian woman delivered her baby on a rubber boat while trying to cross to Greece.
The decade since Alan Kurdi’s death has not changed the fundamentals.
The takeover of government by the Taliban government forced many Afghans to seek a better life elsewhere
With the wars in countries such as Sudan still raging on, experts believe migrants will continue to risk the deadly trip to Europe
Conflicts, persecution, poverty and now climate pressures keep driving people from their homes.
Europe has tried to build walls, sign deals and shift responsibility onto neighbours.
Yet, the crossings have not stopped, and the death count keeps increasing.
Over the last ten years, there have been grief, outrage, and costly policy changes. But neither of these has stopped the crossings or ended the deaths.
