Eu Naval Mission Fails To Stem Migrant Crossings

[naomi24]

//The operation is saving lives at sea but instability in Libya is allowing the people smugglers to operate freely, a reports finds.//

http://news.sky.com/story/1695406/eu-naval-mission-fails-to-stem-migrant-crossings

The rescuers know where these people are coming from so why oh why do they not take them back to Libya?

From what I can see, every one of them on this boat is a young man.

Crazy!!

[youngmafbog]

It is a free taxi ride to europe.

[naomi24]

youngmafbog, I know - but it should be a return trip to Libya - or wherever else they're coming from. Once potential migrants got the message that people smugglers can't get them to Europe, the people smugglers would be out of business. Problem of people smugglers solved!

[Bazile]

They don't seem to have grey hair

[Old_Geezer]

That was my thought. Why did they point the ship in the wrong direction after picking them up. Can't possibly sort the issue if all they do is aid the economic migrants / people smugglers.

If things are so bad in Libya regarding legitimate refugee camps for legitimate refugees, then it's there things should be improved. Makes no sense taking folk even further from their homeland.

[mushroom25]

at the very best, the distance by sea from libya to italy is 290 miles. in a boat of the size shown on the news, you might (at best) travel 40-50 miles on a full outboard tankful (given ideal conditions), which barely gets them out of sight of the coast. these cruises are suicide missions - are the "passengers" not intelligent enough to realise this?

[naomi24]

Mushroom, //these cruises are suicide missions - are the "passengers" not intelligent enough to realise this? //

Often they're not suicide missions because the passengers are picked up and brought to Europe. They're intelligent enough to know that!

[Khandro]

There is a civil war raging in Libya, so it isn't considered to be a safe country to return them to.
However today Germany has declared 3 N.African countries 'safe';
http://www.expatica.com/de/news/German-lower-house-labels-three-N-African-countries-safe_679077.html
Last year, David Davis suggested that the EU give money to a willing and safe North African country to accommodate and sustain refugees, to be overseen by UNCR.
Boat people could then be picked up and escorted straight there, which seems to me the most sensible proposal I've heard so far.

[Zacs-Master]

What would be the point of rescuing them from the perils of the sea and returning them to a land where they would probably be killed?

There would undoubtedly be a post on here saying 'What a waste of our money'.

[naomi24]

Khandro, //There is a civil war raging in Libya, so it isn't considered to be a safe country to return them to. //

And it hasn't occurred to the powers that be that many of these people aren't Libyans, but have gone to Libya (despite the alleged danger) in order to make their way to Europe? We are having the wool pulled over our eyes - big time!

[Old_Geezer]

In which case why have they fled to a non-safe country ? Why are they not heading to Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia ?

[naomi24]

They don't want to be in Morocco or Tunisia or Algeria - they want to get to Europe.

[Old_Geezer]

And if the whole of Africa is unsafe then maybe the world needs to accept defeat at trying to help a whole continent, and simply close borders completely. (Or get the UN to agree a joint peace creating force made up of all the other world countries to go in and sort it out. :-) )

[Old_Geezer]

Precisely. What they want isn't the priority. What they need as basic human rights says they go to the nearest safe spot and wait for things to improve before they return.

[Bigbad]

I saw that, fender.
The man said he was a firefighter.

The reporter then said that “we” all wish you well.

If I was included in the “we”. I would rather he said ‘we” would rather you got sent back home!

[anotheoldgit]

When are they going to realise the vast majority of these are 'invaders', countries knew how to tackle invaders in the past.

All aid to Africa should be stopped, and only paid to those African countries who are prepared to accommodate these invaders on capture.

[Svejk]

The interview with the 'fireman' was an absolute disgrace. BBC man put every word in his mouth.