Migrant crisis: photos of dead Syrian boy 'wake-up call' for PM
Graphic photographs of child washed up on Turkish beach should 'force the EU to come together'

Photographs of a dead Syrian child washed up on the shore in Turkey have been described as a "wake-up call" for David Cameron and the rest of Europe to help the record number of people fleeing conflict in their home countries.
A picture of the little boy being carried by a Turkish official features on the covers of several UK newspapers today, some dedicating their entire front pages to the image.
The boy is believed to be one of 12 Syrian refugees who had been trying to cross the Mediterranean on two boats headed to the Greek island of Kos.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Independent has defended its decision to publish a more graphic image of the boy lying face down in the sand, arguing that "it is all too easy to forget the reality of the desperate situation facing many refugees". If these "extraordinarily powerful images" don't change Europe's attitude to refugees, "what will?" asks the newspaper.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the pictures were "beyond horrific" and are "the wake-up call David Cameron needs", while the Daily Mirror says the pictures are a wake-up call not only for Cameron, but for all of Europe.
"On our Continent and off its shores a terrible humanitarian tragedy is unfolding, which shames all those governments, including the British, which turn their backs on desperate people," says the newspaper. "To save others, let the awful death of that boy be the moment we all stood up to be counted by doing the right thing."
The photographs have spread across social media, with many praising the power of photojournalism. However, some accused sections of the media of hypocrisy, pointing out that calls to keep migrants out of the UK have turned to calls for humanity, on the axis of a photograph. Others expressed dismay that it took a photograph to inspire compassion when more than 220,000 people had already died in the Syrian conflict.
But human rights activists have argued that the distressing images need to be seen and that they could act as a catalyst for the international community to take action.
Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children, told The Guardian: "This tragic image of a little boy who's lost his life fleeing Syria is shocking and is a reminder of the dangers children and families are taking in search of a better life. This child's plight should concentrate minds and force the EU to come together and agree to a plan to tackle the refugee crisis."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is the pro-Assad insurgency a threat to the new Syria?
Today's Big Question Interim leader accuses regime loyalists and 'foreign backers' of trying to 'divide and destroy' the country
By The Week UK Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
The challenge facing Syria's Alawites
Under The Radar Minority sect that was favoured under Assad now fears for its future
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Islamic State: the terror group's second act
Talking Point Isis has carried out almost 700 attacks in Syria over the past year, according to one estimate
By The Week UK Published
-
What will happen in 2025? Predictions and events
The Explainer The new year could bring further chaos in the Middle East and an intensifying AI arms race – all under the shadow of a second Donald Trump presidency
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published