Canadian Museum for Human Rights showcases refugee journeys by sea

A new exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) looks at the perilous journeys taken by refugees who flee war and and persecution by sea.

A Perilous Crossing opens to the media onThursday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The exhibit was developed by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifaxwith the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa and with the co-operation of Doctors Without Borders, said a CMHR release.

The exhibit tells the story of Doctors Without Borders's search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, where more thana million migrants and refugees crossed in 2015, according to theCMHR.

More than 3,600 people lost their lives on these voyages that year, the museum added.

The exhibit includes life-jackets worn by children who were rescued by Doctors Without Borders, as well as aplastic compass thatserved as the only navigation tool aboard an overcrowded inflatable boat carrying 118 people.

A Perilous Crossing runs until Sept.25 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

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