A year ago today, at least 95 people perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Crotone, a small port city in southeast Italy. They had set off from İzmir, Turkey, sailing more than 1000 kilometres to get around Greece before trying to land in bad weather. The boat broke up on the rocks, killing around half the people on board.
Questions were asked in the aftermath, most notably whether Frontex, Europe’s border agency, and the Italian authorities could have done more to prevent the tragedy. These questions intensified when it emerged they had been aware the overcrowded boat was heading into rough seas hours before it crashed.
Another question hung in the air. Why would people who were presumably trying to reach the EU from Turkey set sail for Italy, when Greece is right there?
