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'We lost everything': Migrant family has fled two wars, hopes to reach Germany
"My brother had a car workshop in Benghazi, but it was robbed, " Imad said. "We lost everything."
So he took his family and fled again.
Passage across the Mediterranean is not cheap for would-be migrants. Muhamed, another passenger on the same ship, said he paid $1,200 for the trip out of Libya.
These are just two men among many thousands of people who have fled with their families, seeking safety and the chance to build a life.
Thousands have died
Tens of thousands of people, seeking the stability and economic opportunity of the European Union, have attempted to cross the Mediterranean this year. Sometimes, their boats are overcrowded and not seaworthy. Thousands have died.
But still they come -- motivated not only by fear but by hope.
Another passenger on the boat was Fatoum, who is 28. He fled Eritrea to avoid open-ended military service, which is mandatory for every man and unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 50.
Fatoum hopes to find work in Italy as a blacksmith.
And Imad, who has now fled both Syria and Libya?
He hopes to join relatives in Germany. And have a taste of the security he wants for his family.
By Ben Wedeman and Don Melvin, CNN