Why are so many Africans dying at sea?

THEY KNOW their lives are at risk, yet each year thousands of people from Africa, the Middle East and beyond – civil war refugees, political asylum seekers and economic migrants – leave their homelands and try to reach the ‘promised’ land of Europe. In fact, the last decade alone has seen an upsurge in the number of Africans taking to the sea in search of safety, economic opportunities, or both in places such as Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. These migrants believe that European countries and others like them represent an opportunity for them to pursue safety and economic stability. However, danger often awaits those who include a sea route in their flight from developing countries such as Eritrea, Libya, Morocco, and several West African countries. It is believed that most people who die at sea are those fleeing either political or economic instabilities in their countries of origin, in anticipation of a better life. But how do they get there? Their journey is atrocious to say the least. Indeed, recent research carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirms that after getting paid huge sums of money by would-be migrants, people-smugglers crowd migrants into decrepit ships, often placed in perilous situations with no safety precautions, no drinking water and no food for the entire journey. In many cases, these unscrupulous organised gangs ship up to 1000 people freely simply because there is no organisation at the global level currently responsible for systematically monitoring these crossing routes. Recent headlines are full of tragedies, and many more go undetected. The scale of the problem is hard to measure, as many ships and bodies disappear into the sea. However, in September 2014, a report by IOM stated that migrants trying to reach more prosperous countries in Europe have died at a rate of eight every day for the past 14 years. The report indicates that since research was undertaken in 2000, almost 40,000 people have died on worldwide migrant routes, with 22,000 of them trying to cross over from Africa to Europe. And, although Eritreans and Somalis make up the biggest groups, they are increasingly joined by swelling crowds of Syrians fleeing their civil war-racked country escaping lawlessness and sectarian strife, and by political refugees from Libya, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, to name but a few. It is important to note that since many ships sink at sea, the true number of fatalities is likely to be even higher than the figures reported by IOM. It is without doubt that the search for better jobs and higher incomes still drives much of the human tide across the Mediterranean and into Europe. The majority of migrants who take such extraordinary risks believe that the economic benefits and the political stability in Europe far outweigh any risks involved – including the ultimate risk of dying at sea. The majority of these hopeful migrants, however, are increasingly discovered in their hundreds floating at sea near the Italian island of Lampedusa or near one of several Greek islands. But how desperate are these migrants? Of course, few will argue that those fleeing conflicts have no genuine reason to risk their lives to that extent – in many cases staying is equal to death. As for economic migrants, however, the desperation of many is far-fetched. Research by IOM indicates that in some cases most migrants part with over $10,000 for a place in one of the makeshift boats. Surprising isn’t it? Of course, many later find that life in Europe is not a bed of roses as previously believed. In fact, according to IOM, many economic migrants complain that conditions in holding camps are more difficult than those they fled. “Migrants are less likely to feel satisfied with their lives than the native-born population,” the Geneva-based IOM said in its World Migration Report 2013. The organisation added that “migrants in the South often fare the same or worse than if they had not migrated.” In the long run, this crisis cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Of course, there remains the question of Africa’s economic and political instability on a large scale. Lack of economic opportunities, poor governance structures and inadequate social structures will continue to push desperate Africans into risking their lives. African governments, together with the African Union, need to take some responsibility and address this problem urgently. The writer is a UK Parliamentary Intern and holds a Master of Science in Public Services Policy.

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Why are so many Africans dying at sea?