There has been much debate on the topic of immigration over the past number of weeks, but no article or discussion has captured the heartbreak of migrant families like this photo has.

 

New York Times freelance photographer Daniel Etter captured an image of a Syrian refugee in tears while holding his children after arriving on a Greek island, and the harrowing photo has quickly gone viral.

 

The unnamed man had reportedly arrived on Cos from Deir Ezzor, travelling with his family on a flimsy inflatable boat.

 

Describing the family’s journey, Etter told Spiegel Online: “After more than two hours of driving, the boat had lost air, water had leaked into it, and the refugees were soaked when they arrived at the shore. They were then completely relieved to have arrived safely.”

 

 

“In that moment it all came at them together: the joy of having done it; the love for their family; the grief over what had happened,” he added.

 

The image has touched the hearts and minds of people all over the world, with many hailing it as the most accurate and harrowing depiction of the migrant crisis.

 

 

According to the latest UN statistics, almost 21,000 people arrived by sea to Greece – 82% of whom were from Syria – last week alone.

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