Lampedusa, another European dissension?

The Italian Police has announced a few hours ago that “Eight boats coming from North Africa and transporting approximately 1.300 migrants reached the Italian island of Lampedusa”, which is located between Tunisia and Sicily.

This new arrival brings up the total of migrants currently living on the island to the number of 1.800. Since the beginning of the year more than 35.000 Africans, (24.000 from Tunisia), reached the Italian coast. Several thousands of them were already transferred to “reception” centres of the peninsula.

" Europe does not keep its promises", declared yesterday evening the Italian Minister of the Interior, Roberto Maroni. The member of the Ligua Norte reminded that Rome had asked for help to its European partners.

We have witnessed lately the willingness by several European countries to find solutions in order to face this influx of immigrants that came after the Tunisian revolution and the civil war in Libya.

Roberto Maroni added that "There is a war in Libya and, as long as this war is not finished we shall have refugees who will try to come live here”.

He however considered that the agreements concluded with Tunisia a couple of weeks ago to stop this influx were already helping a lot.

Europe is facing a difficult situation because we have to choose to understand or not the need for other people to come to our countries. People are risking their lives trying to reach us and are often mislead by what is waiting for them here.

Should we close our borders? Should we carry on to accept everyone? This is one of the most important debates that our governments have to lead. Sensibilities are very different among the population and tensions are noticeable.

With the elections coming in a lot of European countries, are the governments ready to have this debate? This is the question. What is sure is that the population is waiting for them to act…in a way or another..

Posted in: World