Migration across Mediterranean Sea: Obstacles, Solutions

 A large number of people live in a country other than the country where they were born. While many inpiduals migrate voluntarily, and others migrate illegally in search of a better life or to escape from the scourge of wars and sedition.

Despite the successive repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic on international movement, international migration rates increased last year, bringing the number of migrants around the world to 281 million people.

Moreover, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has indicated that had it not been for the current pandemic, which made the movement of people across borders difficult, the number would have been even greater and an additional two million migrants would have been registered last year.

281 million migrants, represent 3.6 percent of the world's total population.

The number is compared to 272 million migrants registered in 2019, who represent 3.5 percent of the world's population.

In 1970, only 84 million migrants were registered which represents 2.3 percent of the world's population. This means that we are witnessing paradoxes that we have not seen in human history.

There are also painful facts and horrific figures presented by the recent United Nations reports regarding the movement of clandestine migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean. These figures indicate a tragic rise in the number of deaths, exceeding 130 percent compared to previous years.

The Mediterranean waters have become a graveyard for migrants coming from Africa, Arab countries and the Middle East; meanwhile, the number of people attempting to cross by sea from North Africa to Europe in the first six months of this year increased by 58 percent, to hit nearly 76,000 people.

Likewise, migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean through Libya are subjected to various methods of violence such as kidnapping, torture and extortion.

In addition, European countries' endeavors to eliminate migration by strengthening national borders and reinforcing many detention centers outside their borders prompt those wishing to illegally migrate seek the help of smugglers to find themselves in boats that lead them to Europe across the Mediterranean.

Given the great suffering faced by migrants on Africa's Mediterranean coast, there are three solutions that can be implemented.

Firstly: It is necessary not to make migrants pawns of security policies to combat Islamism in the Mediterranean basin.

Secondly, the need to separate migration, terrorism, drugs and crime by democratizing cross-border mobility for as many countries as possible. This requires working to facilitate the visa policy, which if tightened; it would result in fraud attempts and presenting forged documents.

Thirdly, huge sums of money should be allocated to combat the secret entry of migrants from Mediterranean countries by integrating them into the labor market and providing them with permanent work, stable income to support them and their family members in the countries of origin.