Just a few weeks ago, hundreds of people escaping war and occupation of their territory perished as they tried to make their way to Europe to escape their plight back home.
Tragedy struck. Hundreds of Syrian and Palestinian people drowned as the vessel they were on capsized in the seas off Lampedusa. Many were stuck in the hold and drowned without even having a chance to get out.
Survivors have recounted the harrowing tales of losing sons, daughters and wives as they desperately clutched at them. Divers have told of the horrific scenes as they tried to open the hold and saw masses and masses of bodies piled together. They also told the truly anguishing tale of a baby that had been found ‘born’ but still attached to its mother by the umbilical cord. A Syrian neuro surgeon who told of his sorrow at losing his wife and children in the sinking was enough to bring tears to the eyes of the most thick-skinned.
Yet more people come. As we saw yesterday, Italy and Malta saved another 41 people from a rickety boat in distress. The boat was again carrying Palestinians and Syrians and there were women and children aboard. These are considered to be the lucky ones, the ones who are saved and the ones who live.
The Lampedusa sinking should deter anyone from taking such a dangerous voyage, but yesterday’s events show a totally different reality. These people are so desperate to get out of their country that they will try anything. They want to seek a better life at all costs and they do not care if they risk their lives in the process. Things are that bad. And this brings us to our point. Boat crossings will not stop. People will not stop taking the gamble.
Europe has finally put the issue on the agenda for discussion – and has finally demanded that a task force come back with workable solutions in time for the December European Council meeting in Brussels. And this 10 full years (if not more) since the phenomenon of immigration began. It took a joint stand by MIGs (Malta, Italy and Greece) to get someone to sit up and notice. In retrospect, Europe should be ashamed of itself. Policing the waters is not the solution, and neither is sending the boats back to the North African coast. Can Europe really be comfortable in doing that? Knowing full well what these people go through when they are sent back to Libya? One of the solutions is one which our Prime Minister has suggested, and that is setting up European Union asylum processing offices in countries of transit where people can have their asylum applications processed before they get to Europe. It will not stop the crossings, but it will, at least, encourage some people to go through the regular channels. We cannot afford to see more people die at sea.
We urge our readers and we urge anyone who has picked up this newspaper today to look at our front page picture. Just imagine that was your child. Just imagine your little boy had to join you on a rickety boat, risking waves and attacks by Libyan militia vessels. This is the everyday horror that people who live in these countries go through.