For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
One year ago, the pictures of a little boy washed up dead on a Turkish beach were beamed across the world.
Nearly 400,000 people added their signatures to The Independent petition urging the government to take in more refugees.
In response, they agreed to offer asylum to 20,000 people over five years.
In the immediate aftermath, there was an outpouring of sympathy towards refugees.
After a summer of horror in the Mediterranean; the refugee crisis was not just a throwaway headline; it had become human.
Turkey's two million Syrian refugees
Show all 11
The world’s attention soon diminished, but the crisis did not. 2016 has witnessed even more death and destruction.
In the first five months, over 2,500 people died crossing the Mediterranean, compared to 1,855 in the same period in 2015, and 57 in the first five months of 2014.
Watch the video above to see how the crisis deepened in the last 12 months.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies