EU Grapples with Aftermath of Lampedusa Tragedy as Eritrea and Italy Make Funeral Plans for Victims

The Lampedusa boat tragedy occurred on October 3 2013 when a 20m-boat ferrying over 500 illegal immigrants—mostly from Eritrea and Somalia—capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near the Sicilian Island. Those on board had moved to one side of the overloaded boat after it caught fire. Fishermen who were the first to arrive on the scene managed to rescue 155 people.

 So far, divers have retrieved 311 bodies from the wreckage, which represent one of the worst boat disasters involving illegal immigrants. Rescue efforts have been hampered by the fact that most of the bodies are trapped in the wreckage of the boat.

Eritrea has sought to assure its citizens that it is planning on returning the bodies of the Eritrean victims of the Lampedusa boat tragedy for a state funeral. This announcement comes in the wake of Italy’s declaration to honour the over 300 victims with a state funeral.

However, the Eritrean Embassy in Italy announced that it is negotiating with Italian authorities so that the deceased can be taken back to their homeland for burial by their kin. Furthermore, the Eritrean government has undertaken to cater for transport costs as well as other expenses that may be involved. 

 

Eritrea has set aside a day of national mourning for the Lampedusa victims (Photo Credit: www.tesfanews.net)

The Eastern African country’s plan, however, may never come to fruition after the Italian government granted posthumous citizenship to the victims. Ironically, the fate of the survivors of the tragedy is unknown. Under the 2002 Bossi-Fini Immigration Law, the survivors were to face criminal charges for ‘clandestine immigration’—an offence, which carries a fine of €5,000. 

In light of the tragic events, the government has set in motion plans to repeal this law.

Italy’s decision to grant posthumous citizenship to deceased and deprive survivors of the same has been labelled as a politically motivated move that is aimed at salvaging its conscience. Mary Dejevsky described in her article  in The Spectator, that “this is grotesque and proves to would-be refugees and activists that receiving countries prefer dead migrants than those who make it alive”.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta met a hostile reception when he visited the Southern Italian island of Lampedusa alongside European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Shouts of ‘disgrace’ and ‘killers’ filled the air as the two arrived at a makeshift mortuary to meet survivors and rescue workers.  One protester shouted, “Shame on them! They should solve this humanitarian crisis”.

Barroso announced the disbursement of 30 million Euros to assist Italy resettle the refugees. He also explained that the EU would focus on people who smuggle illegal migrants into Europe and cooperate with the illegal immigrants’ countries of origin. 

Lampedusa residents throw flowers at the scene of the boat disaster in memory of the victims (Photo Credit: www.dailymail.co.uk)

 On his part, PM Letta promised to push for migration to be included at the centre of the EU’s agenda. He acknowledged the mushrooming of a huge humanitarian drama on Lampedusa. France has already called for an urgent EU meeting to discuss Italy’s concerns.

Lampedusa has been one of the three key entry points for illegal immigrants into Europe. Other routes include the West African route via the Canary Islands and the West Mediterranean route. Lampedusa was in the news back in 2010 when 63 illegal immigrants lost their lives—an event that incurred the anger of activists on Spanish and French military for ignoring the immigrants’ distress calls.

According to BBC, 2013 has seen over 30,000 illegal immigrants enter Italy by sea. Three thousand Eritreans often try to flee their country every month because of political persecutions and forced conscription into the army. The Al Shabab menace in Somalia is one of the reasons many Somalis flee the country for a better life in Europe. This situation is compounded by the lawlessness in the country, which has been rocked by over 20 years of war.

In light of the Lampedusa boat disaster, should EU be more accommodative of illegal immigrants fleeing their countries?

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New BBC Investigative Report Unearths Immigrant Rights Violations in Morocco

A new investigative report by BBC’s economic editor Paul Mason has unearthed the human rights violations that illegal immigrants in Morocco undergo at the hands of security authorities. It implicates the police and criminal gangs in violations ranging from physical violence, exploitation and sexual violence.

The documentary—which can be viewed here— was aired on Wednesday 4th September and features interviews with several migrants who are stuck in Morocco after being denied entrance into Europe. One of the interviewees, a Cameroonian only identified as Amadou, narrated his ordeal after he was caught along with others trying to scale the border fence at Melilla—a Spanish border town—into Spain. “They landed with a helicopter and started hurling stones at us; beating us with batons,” he explains.

Amadou and his friends were then deported to Algeria—an act, which was in contravention of the 1951 Geneva Convention that prohibits the deportation of people to countries where there is no guarantee of their safety as well as without considering their individual cases.

Another interviewee, a Gambian called Ibrahim, recounted to Mason how the Spanish coastguard handed him over to their Moroccan counterparts who subjected him to physical assault. “The 35 of us were handed over to Moroccan cops who beat us with batons before taking us to Oujda, across the border with Algeria,” he narrates. Now stuck in Morocco, Ibrahim depends on a nearby mosque for food.

Things are looking up: Illegal immigrants resting after arriving at Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife. Many more have had their journey into Europe cut short by Moroccan and Spanish authorities (Image courtesy of www.boston.com)

The investigative trip also brought Mason into contact with Mustapha and Josui, two Senegalese bricklayers who tried to gain entry into Spain, having transited through Algeria, Mali and Niger. “We tried to jump over the border fence into Melillia but the Spanish police arrested us,” they narrated.

Having made it into Spanish territory, they expected to be allowed to claim asylum but instead, they were turned over to the Moroccan authorities. “They beat us everywhere while handcuffed behind our backs and even shot at us,” Mustapha explains.

Mason’s investigative report also lays blame on the European Union (EU), which has provided Morocco with €1.6 billion to deter illegal immigrants from its territory. The financial support is part of its ‘Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy’ that aims to improve the capacity of the North African kingdom in handling migration issues, such as, border management. Morocco is a major source of migration into Europe with the city of Tangier being a chief transit route.

A report by Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF), titled Violence, Vulnerability and Migration: Trapped at the Gates of Europe documents the increasing incidences of degrading treatment, violence and abuse of migrants in Morocco. The report also reveals the high levels of sexual violence against the Sub-Saharan migrant community in the country.

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has, however, reiterated that it adheres to the human rights of all immigrants while implementing its readmission procedures and border management. It states that the kingdom has become a country of destination for Sub-Saharan African migrants because of its joint border control efforts with European countries.

What are your thoughts? Is Morocco right to cooperate with EU in stopping illegal immigrants from entering Europe through it?

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