As delivered

So far in 2016, almost 350,000 migrants and refugees have come to Europe by sea. Most have arrived in Italy or Greece.

They have undergone long and difficult journeys: many have been tortured or ill-treated in Libya, have lost loved ones or have fallen into the hands of ruthless smugglers or traffickers.

Almost all have gone through the traumatic experience of crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy vessels. They owe their lives to the rescue efforts led by the Italian and Greek authorities.

Local communities have in many areas been instrumental in welcoming to those in need: we have all heard heart-warming stories of the care and assistance offered by ordinary people, moved by compassion for the plight of the new arrivals.

But for many of those who make it to European shores, the hardships are far from over.

The sheer number of new arrivals has put immense pressure on the ability of Italy and Greece to accommodate them. Conditions in reception centres and refugee camps are often overcrowded and even basic amenities are sometimes lacking.

Scant information and lengthy asylum procedures mean that many people spend months or years in limbo, unsure of their rights or when they will receive a decision on whether they can stay.

Some choose to make their own way northwards, seeking to evade tightened border controls, with little or no support along the way.

They end up living in appalling conditions in informal camps.

They risk their lives to sneak across borders undetected, only to be caught by the authorities and returned. Most will try again to cross.

Some of those who make these difficult journeys are fleeing war and persecution. Others are in search of a better life for themselves or for their children.

But whatever the reason for their journeys, all are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.

The photos gathered together in this exhibition capture these different moments in the journeys of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words; that is certainly the case here today.