Lost at sea

When the poor die it almost always attracts less attention than when their wealthier counterparts meet the same fate. The 900 who were killed when a boat illegally carrying migrants capsized off the Libyan coast constitute nearly four times the number of passengers killed in a Malaysian Airlines crash in March 2014. There were also many more on the migrant vessel than the 298 who died a few months later when another plane from the same airline was shot down over the Ukraine. But those two incidents attracted more frenzied media coverage. The migrants who died off the Libyan coast – Somalians, Eritreans, Syrians, Gambians and a multitude of other nationals mainly from African states – have been given no identity. Like the flood of people taking enormous risks to reach Europe and escape conflict at home, they have been given no voice. We hear little about the circumstances that forced them to flee and in many cases perish at sea. According to the EU 1,600 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year alone. Around 11,000 have been rescued – and even as the two dozen or so survivors from the latest wreck were brought ashore by Italian ships news came in of other migrant boats in distress.
The world, and most notably Europe, has treated migrants with immense cruelty. They have been turned back from borders, and literally sent back to die. In other cases they have been imprisoned. Their crime is poverty, helplessness and desperation. It is these factors that drive them onto the boats run by human traffickers in the first place. The traffickers remain untouched. EU strategies have so far revolved around pushing back boats carrying migrants. Special patrols have been set up for this purpose. Where is the humanity and the responsibility we would expect from nations that consider themselves enlightened and civilised? Why are the numerous human rights and international aid organisations asleep? They need to demonstrate this is truly the case by accepting that the situation that exists in so many African states and indeed in other countries around the world is to a great degree a result of western policies. Given this and given the simple needs of humanity, it is vital that assistance be delivered to people who are caught up in deadly situations, both in their home nations and when they flee from them. The most recent disaster, and the tales from survivors who say they paid the ship captain $1,000 extra to be allowed on deck with more hope of saving their lives, has created a stir. A divide has emerged within the EU, with Greece, led by the Leftist Syriza government, urging more help for migrants. Big powers within the EU continue to say most will be turned back. An emergency summit is to be held. Its outcome is unclear, but at least the issue has gained some visibility. It is tragic it took so many deaths to do so.