The Plight of Refugees

Being afflicted by poverty and political unrest, thousands of people the world over are forced to leave their home lands in search of a better life.

It is reported that there are now more refugees than at any time since 1994.  And many people reported to have failed to reach their final destinations.

Italy’s Lampedusa Island is the popular migrant route from Africa to Europe.  For years, it is by this Island that migrants crossed the boarders.

It is reported by various sources that more than 6,000 reached Lampedusa in the first nine months of this year,  but on October 3, more than 300 Eritrean and Somali asylum seekers drowned when their fishing boat sank off the Italian island.

Even with the huge risks ahead on their route,  refugees continue their journey from North Africa to Europe on an almost daily basis.

Speaking of asylum-seekers in general,  most refugees are from Iraq, Sudan, Afganistan, Syria, and Somalia.  War, famine, and political turmoil are the main causes of global migration.

The southern EU countries, such as Italy and Malta are two important destinations where most migrants land for temporary shelters.  They have urged for more support and resources to deal with the influx.

“We are verging on the unsustainable now.  Honestly, something needs to be done”, Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

“First of all the people who get their application refused need to go back,  I do believe that we need to convey the message that there should be legal ways in which to reach Europe and that Europe is not the promised land of milk and honey. It is a place where there are problems and people should not expect a solution to all their woes, just like that, overnight”,  he added.

Caption: www.secretsofthefed.com

Infoeditor