Many promises have been made by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta following the tragedy of Lampedusa, in which a heavily laden refugee boat sank within sight go the island. Among these promises was a state funeral for all of the victims, but instead they received a rather somber private service last Monday, on the 21st of October 2013.
Of the 500 passengers that had boarded the boat with the hope of stepping on Italian soil towards a brighter future, only 155 survived. The victims were primarily of African provenience—most of them from Somalia and Eritrea, two countries that have been devastated by armed conflict and terrorist groups.
Unfortunately, the problems that these people face once they arrive to the land of their dreams are many. As illegal immigrants, they are forced to live in detention centers where, in a good scenario, there is one bed per three people and living conditions are inhumane. The immigrants complain that they cannot continue living like animals, but they consider that the situation in their countries is much worse.
The number of people seeking refugee in Italy has greatly increased, consequently impacting the required time to process all the applications for asylum seekers; sometimes a year can go by before they receive any news, and often it is not good news. Italy's Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano declared that more detention centers will be built in order to be able to receive a greater number of refugees in better conditions. Alfano aso promised to improve the commissions that review the applications for the status of refugees, but he has asked the European Union to review the laws surrounding immigration. Alfano called the island of Lampedusa "the new checkpoint Charlie", and insists that the wall between Africa and Europe be confronted.
According to the current laws of the European Union, a refugee must stay in the first country of the EU in which he steps foot. Italy has also received much criticism regarding the controversial Bossi-Fini law that makes aiding illicit migrants a punishable offense, but Letta has indicated that he will scrap the law.
Lampedusa does not just represent the Italian border, but it also represents the borders of the European Union, and Letta has declared that the Italian government cannot be made responsible for the well-being of the thousands of refugees that disembark on its land, without any help from the EU. The President of the Commission of the EU José Manuel Barroso visited Lampedusa last week and promised 30 million euros of economic aid for Italy, as well as more promises of cooperation between Member States and the EU in order to improve the conditions of refugees and receiving states alike.
Despite the fact that there are general laws that regulate the conditions of refugees in Europe, each Member State has its own immigration laws—something that highlights the complexity of the situation. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat warned the Mediterranean is becoming "a cemetery" while the competing immigration laws confuse the thousands fleeing to a better life.
"We feel abandoned by Europe. We feel abandoned like no other day today," PM Muscat said.
Lampedusa has been receiving thousands of immigrants on its coast for years. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, since the beginning of 2013, Malta and Lampedusa have each received 32,000 refugees. It is concerning that there are so many accidents, but hopefully this will be one of the last. Italy needs the European Union in order to be able to protect the well-being and security of its citizens, but it is these immigrants, who hope for a better future, that will be the ones to have their dreams shattered if something does not change soon. In the meantime, immigration and asylum will be at the top of the EU agenda in the upcoming meetings.
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Video Wednesday: Competing Immigration Laws Turning the Mediterranean into "a Cemetery"
October 23, 2013
Many promises have been made by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta following the tragedy of Lampedusa, in which a heavily laden refugee boat sank within sight go the island. Among these promises was a state funeral for all of the victims, but instead they received a rather somber private service last Monday, on the 21st of October 2013.
Of the 500 passengers that had boarded the boat with the hope of stepping on Italian soil towards a brighter future, only 155 survived. The victims were primarily of African provenience—most of them from Somalia and Eritrea, two countries that have been devastated by armed conflict and terrorist groups.
Unfortunately, the problems that these people face once they arrive to the land of their dreams are many. As illegal immigrants, they are forced to live in detention centers where, in a good scenario, there is one bed per three people and living conditions are inhumane. The immigrants complain that they cannot continue living like animals, but they consider that the situation in their countries is much worse.
The number of people seeking refugee in Italy has greatly increased, consequently impacting the required time to process all the applications for asylum seekers; sometimes a year can go by before they receive any news, and often it is not good news. Italy's Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano declared that more detention centers will be built in order to be able to receive a greater number of refugees in better conditions. Alfano aso promised to improve the commissions that review the applications for the status of refugees, but he has asked the European Union to review the laws surrounding immigration. Alfano called the island of Lampedusa "the new checkpoint Charlie", and insists that the wall between Africa and Europe be confronted.
According to the current laws of the European Union, a refugee must stay in the first country of the EU in which he steps foot. Italy has also received much criticism regarding the controversial Bossi-Fini law that makes aiding illicit migrants a punishable offense, but Letta has indicated that he will scrap the law.
Lampedusa does not just represent the Italian border, but it also represents the borders of the European Union, and Letta has declared that the Italian government cannot be made responsible for the well-being of the thousands of refugees that disembark on its land, without any help from the EU. The President of the Commission of the EU José Manuel Barroso visited Lampedusa last week and promised 30 million euros of economic aid for Italy, as well as more promises of cooperation between Member States and the EU in order to improve the conditions of refugees and receiving states alike.
Despite the fact that there are general laws that regulate the conditions of refugees in Europe, each Member State has its own immigration laws—something that highlights the complexity of the situation. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat warned the Mediterranean is becoming "a cemetery" while the competing immigration laws confuse the thousands fleeing to a better life.
"We feel abandoned by Europe. We feel abandoned like no other day today," PM Muscat said.
Lampedusa has been receiving thousands of immigrants on its coast for years. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, since the beginning of 2013, Malta and Lampedusa have each received 32,000 refugees. It is concerning that there are so many accidents, but hopefully this will be one of the last. Italy needs the European Union in order to be able to protect the well-being and security of its citizens, but it is these immigrants, who hope for a better future, that will be the ones to have their dreams shattered if something does not change soon. In the meantime, immigration and asylum will be at the top of the EU agenda in the upcoming meetings.
