The United Nations is reporting as many as 245 refugees died last weekend in a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya. So far, more than 1,300 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya. On Wednesday, the Libyan coast guard intercepted nearly 500 refugees packed onto a wooden boat, and returned them to Tripoli. The refugees were attempting to reach a boat operated by the European NGO SeaWatch. One of the refugees had fled the violence in Syria.

Syrian refugee: “I have been trying to migrate to Europe for the past six months to rejoin my children. I left the war in Syria and went to Jordan, where I did not benefit from anything as it is still an Arab country. I went then to Lebanon, where I was not accepted. Egypt was the same, and Sudan was the same. I then went to Libya, which was also in a war similar to Syria’s. I am now trying to go to Europe for my children and because [Europe] respects human rights. Arabs do not have human rights. They have no more humanity.”