| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Escape From Humanity |
| 2015-04-21 |
| [PJMedia] Drownings in the Mediterranean now account for 75% of all illegal immigrant deaths worldwide, the waterways filled with a constant stream of people from Africa and the Middle East fleeing their culture in the hope of re-establishing it again on the European shore. In 2014 the number topped 200,000 [1], twenty times greater than number than four years before. The numbers for 2015 are on track to equal 2014. The overwhelming majority now come from Syria [2], which is largely destroyed. "The civil war, which began in 2011, has left over 220,000 dead so far. Over half the 22 million people of Syria have fled their homes since 2011. ... Even many Assad supporters, living in the parts of the country largely untouched by the war, are fleeing." Under this enormous weight, the normal mechanisms of relief and compassion are breaking down. "Foreign donors are spending over $8 billion a year to keep these refugees outside Syria alive. Turkey and Lebanon have taken most of the refugees and Turkey is spending nearly $4 billion a year to support their portion." As in wars past, people smugglers are profiting from the desperation and shipping boatloads packed like sardines to Europe, many of whom drown at sea. The Mediterranean, says Time [3], is becoming a "mass grave". Italy is constantly pulling people out of the water or from foundering vessels, dumped by people smugglers who are sure the Europeans will rescue them. Over 13,500 have been rescued in the last 7 days. Italian PM Matteo Renzi, whose coastguard is overstretched, has denounced the tide as "21st Century slavery" and "singled out Libya as the key problem, saying it was the starting point for about 90% of the migrants reaching Italy by sea." There is a sense of hopelessness in the task, because the more rescued, the more come. "Some Italian politicians had called for a naval blockade but Mr Renzi said this would only help the smugglers as there would be more ships to rescue migrants." I guess I must be a bad person, because the main thought running through my mind is "Arab-Israeli Peace is the key to Stability in the Middle East". |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |