One year on, migrants who survived off Greece seek justice and cope with life

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Desperate hands clutched at Ali Elwan’s arms, legs and neck, and screams misted his ears, as he spat out saltwater and fought for three hours to keep afloat in the night, dozens of miles from land.

Although a poor swimmer, he lived — one of just 104 survivors from the wreck of a dilapidated old metal fishing boat smuggling up to 750 migrants from North Africa to Europe.

“I was so, so lucky,” the 30-year-old Egyptian told The Associated Press in Athens, Greece, where he works odd jobs while he waits to hear the outcome of his asylum application. “I have two babies. Maybe I stay(ed) in this life for them.”

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Thousands have died in Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks in recent years as migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa seek a better life in the affluent European Union.