Migrants are arriving at Lampedusa directly

This night, 315 migrants from Somalia and Eritrea, including 10 children, have come to Lampedusa. Their boat was not guarded neither by Mare Nostrum nor by the coast guards. Witnesses said that there was even a second boat full of people. The arrived people were brought to Favarolo, waiting there for the ferry taking them to Porto Empedocle.
Again there was not a single sight of the ships of Mare Nostrum. That might be evidence for the fact that operation modalities and scope have changed ( the operation seems to move more in the north east direction). The ongoing proclamations during this winter that people in the Mediterranean Sea should be saved, seem to be confronted by the reality that the operation Mare Nostrum seems to be blocked because of the continuing debate about the political and financial responsibility of Europe. The words of the Italian minister of Internal Affairs Alfano seem to have their consequences.

He said “Mare Nostrum can not be just an Italian operation” and “Europe has to take it in its hands to resolve the problem of the Mediterranean frontier or Italian will let it be in the hands of Europe”. During all these discussions there is no talking about the humanitarian aspect and the right of a save travel for the arriving people. If there were not people being forced to get to Europe illegally with a boat over the sea, there would be no need of such a humanitarian- militarian operation that consumes so many resources. But maybe this is exactly the point.

Translated by Luisa Schilling