Illegal migration (noun): An existential challenge for the political and cultural institutions of the West.
One can say that this definition is sure to be found in UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman’s dictionary as she made the assertion in her address at the American Enterprise Institute.
The issue of illegal migration remains one of the political headaches of many countries in Europe.
According to Braverman, Uncontrolled immigration, inadequate integration, and a misguided dogma of multiculturalism have proven a toxic combination for Europe over the last few decades.
However, much of the blame should not be laid on these helpless migrants.
The surge in illegal migration only points to the desperation faced by people who due to diverse reasons, do not have the time and luxury to go through legal processes of moving to a new country.
Escaping hunger, violence, poverty, political turmoil and other crises in their home countries, migrants and refugees risk death and gross human rights violations, in hopes to have a grasp of a better future and the assurance of safety.
The stories shared by migrants, who lived to tell their tales, point to the horrors endured as they journey to the “promised land,” some having to lose relatives to starvation.
Few days ago, Ruven Menikdiwela, Director of the New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), revealed that over 2,500 people seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe have died or gone missing.
Although the central Mediterranean is “the most dangerous” route, more than 102,000 refugees and migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean from Tunisia to Europe, between January and August; an up 260 per cent increase compared to 2022.
In June, an overcrowded fishing trawler, carrying some 500 people from Libya to Italy, sank about 80km (50 miles) from the southern Greek coastal town of Pylos. Only 104 survivors were found.
It is believed that many more casualties, especially during the crossing of the Sahara Desert, have not been brought to the public eye.
Sadly, children are not left out in these deadly voyages.
UNICEF disclosed that between January and mid-September 2023, more than 11,600 children crossed the central Mediterranean Sea to Italy without a parent or legal guardian. This is an increase of 60 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The problem is not limited to Europe. Illegal migration to the U.S has in recent years gone from just under 2 million in 2021 to more than 2.8 million this year.
Treat The Cause, Not The Symptom
The EU has been struggling to agree on reforms to stem illegal migration. Now, this is what I say to this, illegal migration will never end unless the root causes are addressed
In her speech, Braverman cited a 2021 Gallup poll, saying, “thirty-seven per cent of people living in sub-Saharan Africa – some 481 million people – and 27% of those living in the Middle East and north Africa – around 156 million – say they’d like to permanently leave their countries.”
Whatever is causing people to forsake their motherland, the only place they know, for unknown lands and an unknown future should be dealt with.
Par Liljert, Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) puts it poignantly, “As the world is experiencing higher rates of conflict, disasters and environmental degradation than at any time in the past three decades, compounded by glaring inequalities and increased poverty, we can expect more and more people to embark on perilous journeys.”
It cannot be overemphasized that more must be done to address conflict, terrorism, poverty and climate change, that is, factors that have led to the surge in illegal migration.
“We must recognize that solutions to irregular migration cannot solely rely on preventing departures, but also on ensuring that we are effectively addressing the various drivers of migration in countries of origin, transit and, oftentimes, in countries of initial destination.”
Par Liljert
If the West really wants to curb the “existential challenge,” it needs to address the root causes.
READ ALSO: Over 2,500 People Found Dead Or Missing In Attempts To Cross The Mediterranean
