3 October: Remembering Lampedusa
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| Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempt to cross the Mediterranean in a dinghy (ANSA) |
Marking the National Day in Remembrance of the Victims of
Immigration, statistics show that over 15,000 people have died attempting to
cross the Mediterranean since the observance was established on 3 October 2013.
By Linda Bordoni
On 3 October 2013 a migrant boat sank while sailing towards
the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. The final death toll is never to be
known, but 194 bodies were recovered and 363 people were declared missing.
Never Again
“Never Again” said Europe, as leaders and institutions
released a series of well-intentioned statements. Thus, 3 October was
established as the National Day in Remembrance of the Victims of
Immigration.
But six years on, men, women and children continue to die
during the crossing. According to the International Organization for Migration,
since then more than 15,000 people have lost their lives in the central
Mediterranean, the most fatal migration route in the world. It is also the
deadliest place for children, with 678 registered deaths.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis has repeatedly called on leaders and
policy-makers to assume responsibility and provide safe access routes,
relief and shelter for those forced to flee their homelands.
Yet again, celebrating the World Day for Migrants and
Refugees on Sunday, he denounced the fact that weapons of war continue to be
produced and sold by nations who are unwilling to take in the refugees
generated by the very conflicts that force people to resort to traffickers,
suffering all kinds of violence and putting their lives at risk.
Notwithstanding its promises, in the six years since the 3
October shipwreck, Europe has increasingly scaled down search and rescue
operations, choosing to protect borders and not people, while discouraging
those committed to rescue at sea.
Malta Summit
While the recent summit in Malta could represent a first
step towards a shared European responsibility on condition that the EU Justice
and Home Affairs Council concretely commits member countries to ensure full
compliance with international law, NGOs and humanitarian organizations are
calling for an increase in search and rescue capacity. This would include
a return of EU state vessels to search and rescue operations, and an
acknowledgement of the crucial role of NGO boats in saving lives at sea.
As political leaders continue to drag their feet, people
continue to die, like the 40 men, women and children whose boat capsized off
the coast of Morocco last weekend.
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