refugee crisis

Smugglers tried to transfer more than 100 people onto an already crowded boat at sea, according to survivors of what could be one of the worst recent catastrophes suffered by refugees and migrants.

Riot police with tear gas and stun grenades faced off with fence-storming migrants and refugees at the border between Greece and Macedonia on Sunday. Tens of thousands of migrants are stranded there.

The visit by the leaders of the Eastern and Western churches — announced by Greek church and government officials, but not confirmed by the Vatican — would signal support for migrants and refugees.

After immigration officials reverse their decision, five cousins of Alan Kurdi and their parents are planning to move to be with their aunt near Vancouver.

Refugee crises start as short-term emergencies, like Afghanistan in 1979. Then they become a challenge for decades — like Afghan refugees today, and perhaps Syrian refugees in the years to come.

Photos of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned when his family was attempting to cross the Mediterranean into Greece, had many news outlets struggling with the decision to publish — or not publish.