European leaders laud tougher migration policies but more people die on treacherous sea crossings

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Okategoriserade | 0 comments

Source, AP, European leaders laud tougher migration policies but more people die on treacherous sea crossings

FILE - Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The bodies of 19 people were recovered Tuesday, April 23, 2024, off the coast of Tunisia, one of the primary points of departure for those seeking to traverse the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. More than 49,000 people have come to Europe by sea this year, including more than 7,000 from Tunisia to Italy. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE – Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The bodies of 19 people were recovered Tuesday, April 23, 2024, off the coast of Tunisia, one of the primary points of departure for those seeking to traverse the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. More than 49,000 people have come to Europe by sea this year, including more than 7,000 from Tunisia to Italy. (AP Photo, File)Read More

FILE - Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The bodies of 19 people were recovered Tuesday, April 23, 2024, off the coast of Tunisia, one of the primary points of departure for those seeking to traverse the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. More than 49,000 people have come to Europe by sea this year, including more than 7,000 from Tunisia to Italy. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE – Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are stopped by Tunisian Maritime National Guard at sea during an attempt to get to Italy, near the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The bodies of 19 people were recovered Tuesday, April 23, 2024, off the coast of Tunisia, one of the primary points of departure for those seeking to traverse the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. More than 49,000 people have come to Europe by sea this year, including more than 7,000 from Tunisia to Italy. (AP Photo, File)Read More

BY SAM METZ AND BARBARA SURKUpdated 6:53 PM GMT+2, April 24, 2024Share

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Children dead in the English Channel. Morgues full of migrants reaching capacity in Tunisia. Police in Cyprus patrolling off the island nation’s eastern coast to thwart boats loaded with Syrian refugees.

With pivotal June elections for the European Parliament getting closer, such scenes of despair and tragedy are complicating efforts to open a new chapter in Europe’s migration policy. As the European Union and countries across the 27-member bloc adopt tougher measures on migrants, politicians largely focus their rhetoric on the need to police human trafficking and smuggling — rather than the human drama playing out at sea.

Human rights organizations have for years warned that tougher policies and police crackdowns are not deterring migration but driving desperate people to attempt life-threatening journeys across treacherous waters. Thousands have paid with their lives.

On Tuesday, Tunisia’s Coast Guard recovered 19 bodies near a section of the country’s coastline known as a primary point of departure for boats taking off for Italy. Separately, five smugglers were arrested on human trafficking charges, authorities said. Tunisia has already intercepted about 21,000 migrants trying to cross the sea to Europe this year.

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