Various non-governmental organizations and the Italian island of Lampedusa This Tuesday they pay tribute to 368 dead migrants on October 13, 2013, in one of the worst shipwrecks occurred in this century in the Mediterranean, which at the time horrified Europe. The recurrence has reminded us, on the tenth anniversary of the migratory tragedy, that the deaths have not stopped. In the attempt to reach Europe in boats, around 28,000 People have drowned at sea since then, according to figures recently released by Save The Children.
“10 years ago, Europe promised to change in front of the coffins of Lampedusa. But later betrayed that promise“, lamented the French NGO SOS Mediterranean. Since that year, “everything has changed in the Mediterranean: actors, policies and persecutions. What has not changed is the death“, he denounced.
Today, “nor Italy not even European Union They have operations specifically dedicated to rescue and rescue; society seems to have anesthetized in the face of so much tragedy and pain, and the NGOs have gone from being applauded […] to be accused by certain sectors of favoring irregular immigration,” complained, for its part, Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The governments that have succeeded each other “have promoted decrees and laws to hinder bailouts“added MSF.
flowers for the dead
In Lampedusa itself, a group of citizens and the October 3 Committee, created in memory of the victims, remembered the deceased with a crown of flowers which was thrown into the sea at 10 in the morning. “10 years of deaths, tragedies and empty words“, stressed the Eritrean Tareke Brhane, president of the committee.
Along the same lines, the Catholic association Sant’Egidio has taken the opportunity to once again ask European governments to do everything possible to avoid these “tragedies“.
“We want to remember that There are alternatives to traffickers of human beings. These alternatives are humanitarian corridors,” the organization stated. “It is urgent to allow legal entry routes, […] which would also help the chronic shortage of workers in various sectors, due to population decline,” added Sant’Egidio.
Failed policies
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The anniversary also coincides with a new increase in migrants who arrive in Italy. An increase that has not stopped growing since last year: so far this year alone, a total of 134,000 migrantsalmost double that in 2022. Figures that have had the effect that the right-wing Government Giorgia Meloni will try to reach agreements to stop the flow with countries like Tunisia, which is currently one of the main departure ports to Italy.
So far, however, these maneuvers have not been successful. This Monday, the Tunisian president, the controversial and xenophobic Kais Saied, announced that it will not accept the funds allocated by the EU as part of a recent pact. “We do not accept charity“Saïed argued, ensuring that the amount of money awarded does not correspond to what he had been promised.