Nightmare ends at last

The refugee who was photographed weeping as he landed on a Greek island cradling his children has reached safety in Germany.

The image of Laith Majid was shared by thousands of people on social media, provoking global discussion of the refugee crisis last month as calls grew for Europe to give families risking their lives crossing the Mediterranean a safe home.

He and his family arrived in Kos at dawn on 16 August after being crammed in a dinghy meant for just three people with eight other refugees. The vessel lost buoyancy and started taking on water during the voyage from Turkey, risking yet another sinking in the Aegean Sea.

Now, Germany's Bild newspaper has traced the al-Amirij family to Berlin.

Laith, 44, his wife Neda, sons Mustafa, 18, Ahmed, 17, Taha, nine, and seven-year-old daughter Nour have reportedly applied for asylum from the German government. 

The newspaper reported that the Sunni family were Iraqis and had fled the capital of Baghdad.