The winners of Rest of World’s photography contest – Rest of World

Sandra Singh; Italy. A group of refugees is photographed a few minutes after landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the closest part of the European Union that can be reached via a perilous boat journey from Libya or Tunisia. The Mediterranean Sea is the deadliest migration route for those fleeing persecution and poverty in their home countries. Upon their arrival, these refugees borrowed a smartphone from a bystander and started a video call to let their relatives know they survived the journey. Their own phones had either been soaked during their crossing or had run out of battery during the long days spent on the sea.