At least 41 migrants have died in another European mass drowning event, with a people-smuggling vessel carrying them from North Africa capsizing off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa. The incident is another example of the deadly consequences of the lax asylum rules insisted on in the European Union (EU) capital of Brussels.
Just four identified survivors of the wreck, three men and one woman from sub-Saharan Africa, were picked up by a passing cargo ship and transferred to the Italian coast guard. They said at least three children were aboard the vessel, which set sail from Tunisia, when it was turned over by a strong wave.
The news comes not long after another migrant ship sank en route to Italy, resulting in over 500 drownings, but the incentives to make the dangerous voyages remain strong, with close to 100,000 people having reached Italy by sea in 2023 already.
With 244 million people on the move, migration is inevitable, necessary, and desirable: https://t.co/oJT8snspYt #ForMigration pic.twitter.com/9QP9E4VL3o
— IOM – UN Migration 🇺🇳 (@UNmigration) June 24, 2017
Few migrants are deported once they reach European soil, even if they are deemed to have no legitimate claim to refugee status – a stark contrast with the “tough love” policy on boat migrants implemented by Australia after sinkings in its territorial waters.
They stopped their boats crisis almost entirely by insisting no one arriving in Australia by sea could stay in Australia, and would either be turned back immediately or sent to a third country for processing, and hosted in a country other than Australia if found to be a real refugee.
Italy’s new, supposedly populist prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has failed to implement a similar policy, focusing on supporting Ukraine after winning office rather than keeping the promises on immigration that got her elected.
