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This summer a quarter of a million people fled across the Mediterranean by small ships and rafts. Lured by smugglers and forced onto discarded fishing boats, the migrants are directed to head north and call for help when they are past Libya's Bouri oil fields and into international shipping lanes.
Citizens of Syria, Eritrea, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Gambia, Somalia, Bangladesh and dozens of other countries simply hope they won't die as they head north in the dark. Some families buy pool floats to keep their children alive, some pay extra to sit on top, while others are crushed below, used as human ballast.
For those who can't afford passage on the Egyptian or Tunisian-sourced fishing boats, there are homemade rubber rafts. Plywood floors often cut through the rubberized canvas, dumping the passengers into the ocean a few miles from shore. The migrants subject themselves to this life-threatening journey because there is no safe way out of their predicament. They risk their lives at sea and they know they will also run the gauntlet of angry southern European nations if they do make it to land.
We are seeing the globalization of borders, where people view the entire world as a place to choose where to pursue a better life. Most people may not agree with this view, but the migrant crisis is proving that governments are powerless to stop it.
The EU could easily use their resources to pre-process, organize, and fly these people to the regions that want them, but it instead blames the migrants, not the system that kills them. The deaths cause public outrage, which then sparks rescues, which then creates a backlash when the new arrivals end up stressing Europe's social and police systems. The politicians then harden their stance, creating barriers until more deaths are caused by adaptive but cruel smugglers, and the cycle begins again.
Simply put, Europe has not, will not and cannot stop the flow of humans seeking a better life. So they should deal with the situation: humanely, legally and quickly.
The boats are the most visible, most desperate way for refugees to reach Europe. Panicked in the open water, many passengers surge to one side when they see help, and flip their crafts - drowning those below and those who can't swim. Their screams are the soundtrack of the daily rescues in the Mediterranean.
The website MigrantReport.org, which I publish, has documented this horror. The photos of drowned children are particularly gruesome.
The political argument that the drownings are a deterrent to would-be migrants is false. They are not. In fact, it is surprising that more of the 59 million displaced people around the world - as well the combined populations of Africa and the Middle East - aren't heading for Europe.
The movement of humans from bad things to better things starts in Africa and the Middle East. This year, according to the UNHCR, 63% of all migrants to Europe are Syrian. The war in and around Syria has displaced 9 million people, with a third of those people seeking food and shelter outside of Syria. Since the war began in March 2011, only 150,000 have actually been allowed inside Europe.
News readers were shocked to see hundreds of migrant drownings in the early part of this year. But now that the Italian, Irish, Swedish and British navies and private groups like the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) have begun patrolling the Mediterranean, rescue at sea has become more common.
MOAS (where I am an advisor) uses an Alaskan fishing boat and professional search and rescue teams, along with the doctors from Medecins Sans Frontieres, to save migrants at risk of drowning. The nonprofit was created by Christopher and Regina Catrambone in 2014, back when 30 to 40% of the rescues were carried out by large commercial ships, small coast guard vessels or navy leviathans. MOAS exists only to rescue people in distress at sea. So far it has saved over 10,000 men, women and children.
MOAS flies Schiebel S-100 camcopter drones inside Libyan airspace so that it can identify migrants in crisis and reach them early. It and others are part of a coordinated maritime rescue campaign that is reminiscent of the 1979 Vietnamese boat crisis after the fall of Saigon, or even the rescue at Dunkirk.
So far in 2015 more than 250,000 people have reached Europe by sea, and more than 2000 have drowned in the attempt. This mass floating movement exists because Europe has so far refused to properly address the massive influx of people that are arriving at the EU's borders.
According to polls, around 80% of southern Europe, which bears the brunt of migration, does not want these newcomers. Northern Europe is more welcoming, with numbers about half that. Voters' views on the crisis have shaped the "get tough" policy of Europe, which can be seen in images of tear-gassed families lunging through razor wire in Macedonia, migrants blocked from trains in Budapest or living in grim shanties like "The Jungle" outside Calais.
If these refugees are not accepted into the tiny number of asylum slots in Europe, they have nowhere to go in a system that considers them to be an "invasion" and the Mediterranean a medieval-style moat. It's time to change the solution, because the problem has remained resolutely the same and is rapidly increasing. Twice as many migrants have entered Europe in the first six months of 2015 than during the entire year of 2014.
Unlike America, Europe is not used to migration, so some nations prefer to die slowly from within rather than embrace the growth this movement would bring. The countries that most staunchly oppose new settlers have grim statistics. The populations of Hungary, Latvia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and many others are shrinking and getting older. Some countries, like Spain, have barely measurable growth rates. Italy, with similarly anemic population growth, has hill villages that welcome migrants to shore up the economy and inhabit empty homes.
Today's migrant situation is reminiscent of 70 years ago, when millions of Europeans sailed on boats to America, Australia and Canada. Every wave of immigration creates fear and resentment, but ultimately the migrants form a new version of the country they came to.
This week, after the discovery of 71 dead migrants dead in a meat truck in Austria and the drowning of babies off the Libyan coast, we finally saw world leaders try a different tact. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a rare personal appeal for "compassion and humanity." German leader Angela Merkel defended migrants by saying "The freedom of movement is one of Europe's basic principles." French Prime Minister Manuel Valls proclaimed: "The responsibility of us all is to make sure the right to asylum is respected everywhere. One cannot avoid it with barbed wire."
Or destroy it with sinking boats.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015.
23 Comments
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PTownsend
I think Turkey should take more refugees. The Ottoman empire colonized the lands most of the refugees are coming from. The UK, France and Italy should take more; they carved up the Ottoman empire for their own gains after the defeat of the Ottomans in WW1. The US should take more; the invasion of Iraq and resultant destabilization of the ME hugely contributed to the current mess. The Arab GCC states - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar - should take more. Time for them to walk their sanctimonious talk; after all, most of the refugees are their co-religionists. Hats off to Germany!
bass4funk
If you say it like that, then every individual person or household in the Europe, the US, and the ME should do their part and take a refugee or refugees in, it's not the governments job, we are all caring people, so everyone should open up their homes and take on the responsibility to house a refugee, let's all be fair, spread the money, the wealth, the homes, the country, heck...just eliminate all borders and just make a free for all society without borders or restrictions!
PTownsend
@bass4funk
Modus vivendi How about respecting borders and not invading sovereign nations (even though many of these 'nations' were created by the colonial powers at the time)? How about accepting responsibility for the damages done as a result of the invasion? Should posters who want Japan to accept responsibilities for damages caused during war consider applying similar principles to their own nations?
bass4funk
So you want to excuse bad behavior with more bad behavior? Yeah, that seems to be the logical solution.
How about accepting responsibility for the damages done as a result of the invasion?
How about the LEADERS and DICTATORS of these countries accepting responsibility for their countries and stop screwing their people, taking their rights away, confiscating their nations wealth and riches and feed themselves and line their pockets, torturing and imprisoning political oppositions, stifling freedom of speech and religion, executing political rivals and innocent people and a slew of other atrocities and then maybe, just maybe we can clean up this mess and get some sense of normalcy in this world. You need to blame the people that are responsible here and now, and not going back to the past, doesn't help them or us.
Japan should worry about Japan, taking in a certain amount of refugees and showing responsibility for the wrongs it did in the past are entirely different situations.
Illyas
Haha, ctrl - F 'Australia' and no mention? Maybe this author would mind explaining how Australia's system, where they outright say illegal immigrants WILL NEVER be granted asylum in Australia, doesn't work when last year they had 1 (ONE) boat arrival and 0 thus far this year? 'Attempts to deter migrants don't work' is an objectively false statement.
I love how white populations dying off is something to laugh and jeer at in the mind of liberals. These migrants will not increase native birth rates. I would rather my country die from gradual extinction than be taken over by foreigners.
bass4funk
Kind of like the Black Lives Movement in America, ALL lives matter and in this case, liberals think if Whites become extinct, it's not a bad thing, but that thought is somehow NOT racist? Or is it that racism applies ONLY to Whites? If Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, NZ do NOT take in MORE immigrants, they are racists! But if they overtake the natives, replace them, don't obey their laws or language, impose their culture ways and religion on the majority, that is not considered racist? It doesn't fall under the category of racism???
plasticmonkey
Could you provide concrete examples of when this has happened?
Akula
Although I sympathise with the circumstances these migrants find themselves in, Europe does not need any more Muslims than it already has.
Make it as difficult as possible for these migrants to come. That's about as good as you can do.
nath
Iraq is the mistake of Bush ,,,, others are not immigrant should be treated with total racism , first the immigrant have to prove while crossing turkish borders that they are iraqis sure they are tribes and that can be faked through official documents , but it has a good side for illegals and bad side ,, EU and america should care about Iraqi refugees only , if turkey didn't seal the borders , the neighboring countries should seal it with tanks and electric fence
It is like someone coming into your house and take your hard-earned money , If I were in europe place , I would skin those people alive until they are back to their country to rebuild it , It like someone invading your home ,,,WTF without argument kill him in his place and send him to the sharks ,,,, they spend a fortune to leave while they can build their country and make it prosper or those people should go to topple their alleged hated dictator
Iraqis only ,, until the syrian prove that they are iraqis they are the responsibility of turkey and I am sure that erdogan once he will realize that aiding the masses can bite him he will be kicking them out without any consideration to the UN
but mass migration like that , it is like gangs invading your home , if europe killed them all its a self-defense of their citizen property and european human rights as well ,,, but that 's the punishment of believing in religious tolerance to things that you shouldn't do so , Europe is either weak and killed or strong and kill ,,,, the idea of forgiveness is over , seal the europe borders if turkey want to accept them fine ,in EU no they are not christian they won't be satisfied with slave wages then send them back to where they are ,,, Iraqis only
Illyas
Constantinople. :^)
John-San
I am of the thinking that the majority of these migrants don,t qualify, The EU counties are taking in refugee that qualify by the EU rulings. I am assume that this is a mass exodus to maintain there class of Lifestyle, Like some people pick up a shovel and after 5 minutes have a blister and decide this work is not for me, where some will bear it and develop cadasters and are reward for the hard efforts. like the million who have no money and no trade or profession to help with the hope of settlement or illegal work in the EU. Japan has only received a couple of family for settlement and there are 1000,s places for more but are not taken up. Why? If I was in such a bad way I would except anywhere for the safe haven of my family. I would not gamble with my family life and say No thanks I rather go the Europe and try my luck there. All of this start with the so call Arab Spring which has turn into the Arab winter. You have to remember this is their birthplace there society that they have built base solely on the faith. If they tone down on living a life to the word of the clerics you will see more cohesion and my toleration between the masses.
AiserX
Muslim rule of Spain for about 750 years or so. And nearly overtaking France.
lucabrasi
AiserX
Do you genuinely have difficulty distinguishing between a Moorish warrior fighting Christianity and a desperate Syrian family, home destroyed, possessions looted, children half-mad with fear, trying to find a better place to live?
Moderator
Back on topic please.
JeffLee
Australia has managed to stem the tide thru its new stricter policies.
And Saudi Arabia deported 12,000 Somalias en-mass last year without giving them the chance apply for asylum, and it was all done without a fuss.
NckHmml
Yeah, because the US - Mexico border is really a good explanation of how embracing the US is, just fence and wall everybody out.
bass4funk
Check your history books.
They must be doing something right.
Illyas
Yet 70-80% of them are male, they can afford iPhones, and they're leaving safe countries like Turkey and Lebanon, and absolutely refuse to accept the possibility of asylum in Hungary. If they were truly as you describe, don't you think they'd be relieved to be in ANY Western country? Yet they all demand to be able to go to Germany. Poorer yet safe nations they shun.
If they were as you describe, would they really act like this when given food and water?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L3eSbpETf8
Todd Topolski
I notice a lack of mentioning what should be done. The vast majority of migration is occurring because they are fleeing from rape, slavery and death. This is why the floods of migrants can't be stop.
The real solution is to remove what motivates these people and that means the united nations actually stops legitimizing the islamo psycho regimes, stops turning a blind eye to unevolved cultures. The first should be obvious, any government is not a government if it allows women to be taken asvrape slaves, allows slavery in general, practices genocide, mass murder and any other form of extreme violent oppression or slavery. The cultural issues as well. Sorry but places like India where a local tribe orders two sisters raped as punishment against their brother running off with another girl who was forced into marriage with yet another, this is an atrocity. Bangladesh, a village ordered a 14 year old girl whipped to death for being raped by her uncle. In Egypt a girl was given to a man by her father as payment for debt, she was discovered and saved in Los Angeles 10 years later. Infant women exposed to die, because sons are preferred, indentured servitude, religions imposing death sentences, even killing people in france over their magazine, all of this represents unevolved cuktures with no place in the 21st century. The UN should start wiping out the violebt psycho regimes, groups and warlords, demand certain religions get out of the businees of control and use of force and the UN shoukd find ways to force unevolved cultured to evolve. Then migrants will not have reasons to flee
NathalieB
UK in the last 10 years
kushalkumar
Yes, that is right approach. Here are more details.European Union seem to be leading in evolving a policy of dealing with the influx of migrant –refugees to Europe in recent times. One view is to have a quota based such refugees. Obviously, the questions are many and not easy to crack. How many a country is in a position to help and for how long when one does not know when conditions for such migrants to return to their home countries are likely to emerge. How it would be identified that the migrant is a genuine refugee. The problem has grown intense when most of host countries are face to face with another connected problem – global economic turmoil which was predicted by this writer unambiguously as early as 2 June 2014 in monumental article – Stressful times ahead for world economy in 2015 and 2016 in online astrology weekly. This Vedic astrology writer had examined the issue to find out answer to commonly asked question – when will the problem ease? And view expressed a number of times on record by this writer has been that sea on their way to chosen destination could be risky to life calling for abundant precaution on the part of migrants and further that issue is likely to be intensely grave during May 2015 to October 2015 and graver during November 2015 to June 2016. Looking at the issue compassionately , hopefully after mid 2016, there might perhaps be a little hope of easing though mid 2017 seems to be correct stage. And in between, the issue seems to be scripting history of rare tragic tales of human compulsion and helplessness both in land and sea.
Jalapeno
Japan is surrounded by water, so no problem for this country.
wtfjapan
@Illyas totally agree Australia is proof that getting tough works, since there policy of turning boats back early as they reach international waters and stating that any boat person that arrives on the Australia mainland illegally will be resettled in another country other than Australia. this has made it very unattractive for people to try the dangerous journey and the people smugglers have no customers. 0 people have died and only 1 boat has been intercepted. Meanwhile the EU is with open arms and the flood of people will soon turn into a tsunami.