Europeans are realizing that their immigration policy is unsustainable.

The migration crisis that has been central to the European political drama since 2014 is rapidly changing. You can see signs of change everywhere, from subtle intensifications of bureaucratic language to an increasing frankness about what the migration crisis has done to Europe’s nations and societies. It also shows up in the numbers. The overall rate of migration into Europe is starting to decline, but the number of migrants who are dying in their attempt is going up.

But you can see it most of all in the willingness of European leaders to tell the truth. Just in the past ten days, you can see a shift. European Council president Donald Tusk admitted that most of the people coming in have no right to do so: “In most of the cases, and that is actually the case on the central Mediterranean route, we’re talking clearly and manifestly about economic migrants.” He added, “They get to Europe illegally, they do not have any documents which would allow them to enter the European soil.” In other words, these primarily aren’t refugees fleeing war, they’re economic migrants, who are coming in to countries along the southern Mediterranean that already suffer massive unemployment.

The reality is sinking in within the member states as well. Aydan Ozoguz, the German commissioner for immigration, refugees, and integration, admitted this week that three-quarters of the refugees Germany took in recently will still be unemployed in five years. Just a year ago, pundits were holding out that Europe would find economic salvation in the “warm bodies” crossing the Mediterranean. It was an argument that never made sense, given the millions of unemployed but educated youth already in the European Union. Instead of a new round of guest workers, Germany has added hundreds of thousands of new dependents on the state, most with few job skills and no language preparation.


On Friday, the European Union member states agreed to restrict visas for foreign countries that refuse to take back their own nationals who do not qualify as refugees. Germany’s deal with Turkey, along with the enforcement position of Viktor Orban’s Hungary (which Germany still pretends to deplore) has mostly closed the land route into Europe through the Middle East – but now the Libyan coast is the main source of migration. The EU’s President Tusk described a 26 percent rise in the number of migrants arriving in Italy from Europe over the Mediterranean. But it may finally be dawning on Europe’s elites that their attempts to rescue people at sea are endangering migrants as often as saving them.

Migrants hoping for a European rescue are put on inflatable rafts (or worse) and launched off the coast of Tripoli. They make about one-sixth of the journey toward Sicily, and sometimes even less. Once they cross out of Libyan waters they enter what is commonly known as the “Search and Rescue” Zone or just “SAR Zone.” They then signal their distress and get European rides the rest of the way — or they collapse and capsize and the migrants drown. Over the weekend, the Irish navy, and its ship LÉ Eithne, took more than 700 migrants. The composition tells you the nature of the migration: a score of children, some pregnant women . . . and over 500 adult males.

The UK was a party to creating the mess in Libya by bombing Libya and ousting Gaddafi and replacing him with criminals and terrorists.

There were no boat people from Libya before Gaddafi was killed.

Perhaps the Europeans should sue the UK for creating the nightmare.

cods wrote on Jun 28^th, 2017 at 4:30pm:


Do you have some evidence? You have no idea what black ops may have been perpetrated in Libya.

Europe waking up to a bad dream

"U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting Europe for the first time since taking office".

bogarde73 wrote on Jun 28^th, 2017 at 6:10pm:


It was very good.

they reversed the flood of illegals the limp left had encouraged.

Italy has threatened to stop vessels of other countries from bringing migrants to its ports.

The warning came as Italy's EU representative, Maurizio Massari, warned in a letter to the bloc the situation had become "unsustainable".

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has accused other European nations of "looking the other way".

An estimated 10,000 people are believed to have attempted the journey from North Africa in the past four days.

More than 73,000 migrants have landed in Italy this year, an increase of 14% on the same period last year.

Some 2,000 have died or are missing feared drowned, the UN's refugee agency says, the vast majority attempting the crossing from Libya.

Libya is a gateway to Europe for migrants from across sub-Saharan Africa and also from the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. Many are fleeing war, poverty or persecution.

Why is Italy reacting now?

The Italian coastguard takes the lead in co-ordinating rescue operations but many of the vessels run by non-profit groups sail under the flags of other nations including EU countries like Germany and Malta.

An Italian government source told Reuters: "The idea of blocking humanitarian ships flying foreign flags from returning to Italian ports has been discussed. Italy has reached saturation point."

Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the Italian public were "exasperated" with the issue and a new long-term strategy was needed.

Would blocking rescue ships be legal?

Rules on disembarking are governed by international law and the EU office on migration said any changes to guidelines should give humanitarian groups time to prepare.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea dictates that any ship learning of distress at sea must assist regardless of circumstances, and that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking them from the ship.

It also clearly states that the relevant government "shall arrange for such disembarkation to be effected as soon as reasonably practicable."

For boats departing from western Libya, Italy is likely to be the closest port.

What has the reaction been?

The European Commissioner for Immigration, Dimitri Avramopoulos, met Italy's Mr Massari to discuss the crisis.

"Italy is right that the situation is untenable," he said, adding that the country's management of the crisis was "exemplary".

It was time for EU member states to "step up", he said, and contribute financial support to Italy if needed, along with aid to African nations like Libya to reduce the numbers of people leaving - a promise made in February.

"Now is the moment to deliver, and we will hold them to this," the commissioner said.

"In everything we do, we all have a humanitarian obligation to save lives... we cannot leave a handful of EU countries on their own to deal with this."

Medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres said it had been calling for more support from the EU for some time, urging that "all the states should take part", Ansa news agency reported.

Has Italy raised concerns before?

Yes. In April, an Italian prosecutor claimed humanitarian charities were "colluding" with people smugglers in Libya, alleging that phone calls were made between the two parties.

Italy has seen more than 500,000 migrants arrive by boat since 2014.

The closure of a land route north through the Balkans has added to the pressure.

How lawless is Libya?

Libya has been in chaos since long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in October 2011.

On Wednesday, seven UN staff who had been visiting a migrant detention centre in the western town of Surman were seized by gunmen as their convoy headed towards the capital, Tripoli.

They were later released unharmed to local security forces.
:BBC

Unforgiven wrote on Jun 28^th, 2017 at 4:11pm:


Correct.

Except it was the Americans who bombed Libya.

Karnal wrote on Jun 29^th, 2017 at 9:02pm:

No, not just you. We all do.

Stands to reason.