Africa’s role in tackling migrant deaths

For good reasons, this year would go down as the year Africa let its citizens down. Immigration and human trafficking on the Mediterranean is at an all-time high. And the figures so far have been staggering.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) about 1,750 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean since the start of the year. This is more than 30 times higher than during the same period in 2014.

The IOM further estimates that 30,000 migrants could die in the Med if no action is taken to either deter immigrants from starting the journey, in the first place, or rescue the immigrants whose lives are endangered in the course of the journey.

Italian and Maltese ships have been busy responding to distress calls. There is also an ongoing debate as to the precise role of merchant ships in the rescue and aiding of trafficked persons who usually set off from Libya - whose porous borders coupled with a weak central government has led to the boom in the industry.

Coupled with the above is a sickening scenario of nationalism and immigration which is found in the senseless and outrageous slashing, destruction and killing of foreigners in South Africa under the pretext that they are responsible for the job losses in the country.

These attacks have seen the evacuation of nationals of some African countries; and as at the last time I checked, the Ghanaian government had sent some investigators to enquire into the security situation in what ordinarily is considered as Africa’s largest and prosperous economy.

The commonalities between the drowning of men and women in the Med and also the attacks on foreign populations in South Africa are striking.

It sums up the stark uselessness and irresponsibility of African states individually and collectively towards the welfare and wellbeing of their citizenry.

The paradox of African leadership can be considered as one of the enigmas of modern times - if not wonders of the world. Nowhere in the world is there intense, concentrated and long held battle to assume the rein of leadership. And guess what - nowhere in the world are leaders so irresponsible and inept in dealing with the challenges that confront the very well-being of the citizens than as seen on the continent.

One would have thought that the intense desire to lead would translate into a deep sense of devotion and concern towards improving the life and wellbeing of the citizenry. But that is not the case. The desire to acquire and hold on to power is mainly the outcome of selfishness and narrow-mindedness.

It has to be borne in mind that the decision to seek better prospects elsewhere in the world is a rational and calculating decision. Ordinarily, save for the pleasures of travelling and exploration, people would prefer to stay in their home country - after all that is where they have the most connection with. But bad leadership compels people to take these great perils.

And for this, the continent and its leadership must be very ashamed. The desperation of persons to leave their home country was summed up by one immigrant who said “if I die at sea, it is not a problem - at least I would not be tortured.”

Substitute the word “torture” with some other forms of deprivation and you would be close to telling the full story of the thousands of migrants who risk their lives in the hope of seeking a better future.

As at now, there is a lot of pressure on European states to make a decision on how best to stem the tide in the rising immigration-related deaths at sea. Lots of European states have cut down on their contributions towards patrolling the Mediterranean Seas.

There is a debate ongoing as to the precise impact that more funding for rescue operations is likely to have on the general problem of immigrant trafficking.

As some have noted, deploying more resources towards rescue of the immigrants would encourage more of these immigrants.

But while the European heads of states are taking the bashing and pressure from international human rights organisations to do something concrete, the Nationalist Parties in Europe are comfortably sipping tea.

Suffice to say that the nationalist arguments are pure nonsense and slogans like “Europe for Europeans” overlook the economic realities and the contributions of immigrants to the growth and development of states.

In characteristic style, African heads of states are lost in the dialogue. The issue of men, women and children travelling on the high seas at the peril of their lives is the world’s problem. But more specifically, it is an African problem.

The problem has its roots in Africa. And the solution is therefore in Africa. It is in fact, an indictment on leadership in the African continent. This is the time that the Africa continent must not only be seen to be doing something but must in fact, do something.

(politics_today@yahoo.com)