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| Migrants cry for help as their boat is unable to continue its journey. (Source: AFP) |
War, conflict, difficult life and hope for a better life make illegal immigrants from Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Serbia, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and many other countries still try to cross the sea day and night, risking their lives to reach Europe.
According to statistics from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), in 2022 alone, there were 330,000 "irregular immigrants" entering European countries, a record number since 2016.
According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the flow of illegal border crossings into Europe continued to increase in the first three months of 2023, with the number of immigrants entering Italy reaching over 20,000, three times higher than the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, UK figures show a surge in the number of people entering the UK, with more than 45,700. However, most of these illegal migrants will be deported back to their countries of origin. Only a very few of these are lucky enough to live in refugee camps and stay for humanitarian or political reasons.
New tragedies
According to UNHCR statistics, since the organization began implementing the Missing Migrants Project and began collecting data from 2014 to 2022, 51,194 people have died while trying to enter Europe. Of the deaths counted, up to 30,000 were of unidentified nationality, 9,000 were from African countries, 6,500 were from Asian countries and more than 3,000 were from the Americas.
In 2022, 25,104 people died in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea alone, the closest route between Africa and Europe. These people mainly made their way to the UK, Italy and Spain. Migrants from West and North African countries even crossed the West African-Atlantic Sea to Spain's Canary Islands, and from there entered other European countries. In 2022 and the first three months of 2023, this route also recorded 1,600 deaths out of a total of 2,947 victims since 2021.
In addition to the above two routes, the number of illegal migrants crossing the Türkiye-Greece border is also unusually high. UNHCR figures for 2022 show that more than 1,000 people have lost their lives trying to reach Europe via this route. Crossing the Sahara Desert to enter the EU is also a “death route” for illegal migrants. UNHCR reports show that since 2014, 5,620 people have died crossing the Sahara Desert. Of these, mainly Afghan refugees and migrants from West and South Asia.
As the flow of migrants continues to increase, so does the death toll. However, illegal migrants hoping to change their lives continue to pour into Europe undeterred. Tragedy at sea and on land borders continues to occur. According to Frontex , shipwrecks in the Mediterranean alone in the first three months of 2023 claimed the lives of hundreds of people and left dozens missing.
Most recently, on February 26, a boat carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries from Türkiye sank in the waters east of Calabria, Italy. At least 64 people died and dozens were missing. On April 8, 20 people went missing when their inflatable rubber boat sank off the coast of Tunisia after hitting a reef. On April 9, a boat from Libya carrying 400 people had engine failure and was drifting in the waters between Greece and Malta. Then, on April 12, the Tunisian coast guard found 10 bodies and rescued 72 people while 30 people were still missing. Previously, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Tunisia, killing at least 27 people…
Solution to the conundrum?
The increase in illegal immigration is a major challenge, requiring European countries to have effective measures and a common voice.
Speaking on the occasion of International Migrants Day on December 18, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the world to “do everything possible” to prevent the loss of life for migrants, considering this a humanitarian imperative, a moral and legal obligation. Mr. Gunterres said that the world currently has about 280 million people who have to leave their countries in search of opportunities and a better life, and emphasized that the majority of people who migrate safely and orderly contribute to economic growth and increased understanding.
Sharing the UN Secretary-General’s view, the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Antonio Vitorino also said that migrants are the foundation of development and progress. The IOM leader called for the elimination of politicization of migration issues, as well as divisive and hostile views towards migrants.
At a recent conference, many EU members supported the establishment of a burden-sharing mechanism based on the principle that member states voluntarily accept migrants and those that do not accept them must contribute financially, as proposed by France and Italy. However, what is happening now shows that this mechanism is not binding enough to improve the situation. EU leaders agreed to apply stricter regulations to control migrants, so that rejected asylum cases can be deported. A member state can use court rulings in another member state to deport illegal migrants back to their country of origin. EU leaders also called for new contributions from members, the establishment of common funds to support migrants, and enhanced border management, infrastructure and surveillance means.
Disagreement
However, there are still some EU countries that do not support the "voluntary sharing and contribution" plan, which aims to distribute 10,000 refugees each year to all member states, which France and Italy have been enthusiastic proponents of. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner strongly opposed it, saying that this move "sends the wrong signal to people-smuggling gangs". The Netherlands also said it would not accept asylum seekers under the proposal. Meanwhile, countries such as Hungary, Poland ... have long opposed any forced refugee resettlement mechanism. Many EU countries support a tougher approach to asylum policy. However, some countries, including Germany, which depends on migrant labor, care about the benefits of migrants and refuse to build hard fences. Germany does not want to put pressure by withdrawing development aid or visas from countries that send migrants.
While Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged EU leaders to do more, reiterating that “the responsibility to assist migrants is a shared responsibility,” French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin regretted that Italy had not acted as a responsible European country. “The management of migration flows is a common problem that affects us all, and requires a consistent solution for the whole of Europe,” the official said.
During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on March 10, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed to step up cooperation against human trafficking across the English Channel, build a four-meter fence and contribute an additional €91 million to France to increase police support on French beaches. In return, British police will be given access to French migrant control centers.
“Migration is a European challenge and must be addressed together,” admitted European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper. “European migration policy is now more outward-looking, with increasingly leveraged and conditional approaches. However, this is not the solution, but rather part of the problem. The recent tragedy has further underscored that the only solution that can stop illegal migrants from risking their lives is to open up legal pathways to the EU, and the EU must adopt a more appropriate, humane and responsible approach,” said Sara Prestianni, a human rights activist at EuroMed Rights.
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