London, September 21 (RHC)-- Aid organizations and pro-refugee groups laid out 2,500 life jackets to symbolize refugee crossings to Europe in a demonstration outside the British parliament timed to coincide with a United Nations summit in New York on the worldwide migrant crisis.
The orange life jackets, spread out on the lawn of Parliament Square, were actually worn by adults and children travelling from Turkey to Greece, part of a wave of migrants attempting the Mediterranean crossing to get to mainland Europe.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Rescue Committee, Migrant Voice, World Vision, and Doctors Without Borders collaborated on the display, which they called a "life jacket graveyard" to illustrate the risks migrants take.
"We hope this will send a message to the world leaders to call for durable solutions," said Sanj Srikanthan, head of policy and practice at International Rescue Committee.