Portrait of a sub-Saharan migrant on Mount Gurugu, Nador, Morocco in 2012, where hundreds of African immigrants waited for the opportunity to cross the fence into Melilla, Spain. Photo courtesy of TIME
A boat carrying migrants is helped by locals on the Greek island of Lesbos. The boat started to leak, forcing the passengers to swim ashore, Aug. 5, 2015. Photo courtesy of TIME
Images of migrants and refugees climbing ashore in Lesbos, crammed together on arduous routes in Idomeni, Greece, or along train tracks in Tovarnik, have been seen by the vast public through the pages and websites of international publications and wire agencies. Without doubt, this was the most important story of the year, and when it came to select one photographer who have documented it outstandingly, one name rose above the fray: Alessandro Penso.
Penso is TIME’s Pick for Story of the Year. Alessandro Penso is a freelance photographer based in Italy. Deeply committed to social issues, his work focuses on the immigration crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.
KJ