April 17, 2015

Dead, we must not ignore

editor:	Ama Lorenz

According to estimates by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) around 20,000 migrants have reached the Italian coast in the first quarter of this year. Of these over 1,500 migrants arrived during the Easter Break in Southern Italy. And there is no end in view as the 2015 migrant smuggling season has resumed in full force. Alone since the beginning of April nearly 8,000 people were rescued in Italian waters according to the Italian division of IOM. But what happened to the others?

More than 500 migrants found the death in the Mediterranean - until April 2015! Pure statistics so far. Do we get used to it?

Each figure represents an individual destiny. Those migrants who survive the arduous trek to Europe have some horror stories to tell.

As today in the Voice of America: "If we had stayed in the Middle East we would have died. You only die once in your life, we decided to risk dying trying to reach here," Mohammed, one of two 25-year-old twin brothers fleeing their native Aleppo, in northern Syria. The brothers arrived on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week, exhausted but alive. In the past week, 400 died during the voyage from hunger, thirst and exposure in overcrowded and poorly equipped vessels.

Helplessness among those who want to help; increasing xenophobia among those who are enlightened or deluded. What is Europe going to do with this situation? A community of states that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. The Committee in Oslo wanted to acknowledge the EU's contribution to a "peaceful development in Europe." Does this peace count only for the born Europeans? Not too long ago, Europeans spread over the world in search of a better life - and we still do. There are plenty of evidences of positive and negative impacts. Another figure: Today still 10 European governments refuse completely to let migrants like the 20,000 landed in Italy into their countries. Many European countries miss accurate immigration legislations. Italy phased out a dedicated maritime search and rescue operation called "Mare Nostrum" or "Our Sea" late last year, making way for a European Union border control mission now called „Triton“, criticised by humanitarian groups and Italian authorities as it has a much smaller budget and a narrower remit.

That is Nobel Peace Prize awarded European policy too. In the end it is the question how strong are the empathy and the engagement of our civil societies. Isn’t it time for a European civil movement to proof to policy makers and xenophobia extremists that European citizens don’t ignore the death of a single migrant at their front doors?

Photo: Two Eritreans wait to board a ferry in Greece (A. D'Amato/UNHCR)

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