“The first reports came in at dawn. A growing number of flimsy rubber dinghies, packed with migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, in difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea. By the time the ship Topaz Responder arrived on the scene, some 20 nautical miles (37 kms) off the Libyan coast, on June 23, its crew counted 21 inflatable boats. By the end of the day, the vessel and other ships had plucked about 5,000 people from more than 40 boats, according to the Italian coastguard. One person died before they arrived. Europe's worst immigration crisis since World War Two is showing little sign of a slowdown in the flow of people heading across the sea from North Africa to Italy. According to the International Organisation for Migration, 225,095 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year. There have been 2,889 deaths in the Mediterranean compared with 1,838 in the first six months of 2015. Last week, thousands of people were pulled from international waters in just several days, according to the Italian coastguard, as people smugglers increased operations in good weather. Many set off from Libya. Reuters photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi on board the Topaz Responder, operated by the privately funded Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), witnessed one major rescue operation, also involving other humanitarian and navy ships and the Italian coastguard. MOAS was founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs Christopher Catrambone and his wife Regina in response to the tragic death of several hundred migrants who drowned when their boat sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013. It says it has since rescued more than 15,000 people”. – Marie-Louise Gumuchian via Reuters



Rescue swimmers of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) take part in a training exercise off the MOAS ship Topaz Responder as the ship stands by for migrants in distress, in international waters off the coast of Libya, June 22, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants rest on the deck of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants are searched by Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) personnel after boarding the MOAS rescue ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A migrant listens to instructions from Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) personnel on the MOAS ship Topaz Responder after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Rescue swimmers of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and medical staff from Italian NGO EMERGENCY take part in a training exercise off the MOAS ship Topaz Responder, as the ship stands by for migrants in distress, in international waters off the coast of Libya, June 22, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A migrant prays on his knees after boarding the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) rescue ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Nurses from EMERGENCY, an Italian NGO, treat a migrant and her baby on board the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) rescue ship Topaz Responder after they were rescued some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A crew member on the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder watches the sunset as the ship stands by for migrants in distress in international waters off the coast of Libya, June 21, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Crew members on the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder wait to transfer supplies to the MOAS ship Phoenix in international waters off the coast of Libya, June 18, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants rest on the deck of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder tests its fire hoses during a crew training exercise as the ship stands by for migrants in distress in international waters off the coast of Libya, June 22, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A migrant is comforted by a friend after being rescued, on the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder, around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A migrant prays on the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A collapsed migrant is assisted by Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) rescuers after boarding the MOAS ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants in a dinghy reach out for life jackets thrown to them by rescuers of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A cultural mediator from Italian NGO EMERGENCY carries a migrant baby on board the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) rescue ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants are transferred from the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder to an Italian Coast Guard vessel after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants embrace on the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants are transferred from the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder to an Italian Coast Guard vessel after being rescued around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants in a dinghy wait to climb aboard the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) rescue ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants in a dinghy await rescue by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





Migrants in a dinghy climb aboard the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Topaz Responder around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)





A Spanish plane and Italian Navy ship pass near migrants in a dinghy awaiting rescue by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya, June 23, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)