Large numbers of Migrants are coming across the Mediterranean again this year with 2000 of them drowning at sea recently. As usual, NGOs and others are picking up these people who are escaping wars, famine, and other disasters but a large number of them are coming to Europe for a better life to escape the poverty of Africa and Asia. The mounting numbers are a huge problem for italy which is becoming swamped. Italy has had to ask the EU for help.
Italy has threatened to close its ports if other nations continue to allow this tide of humanity to land on its shores.
According to BBC1's, 'Newsnight' Italians who have shown nothing but kindness to these people are gradually running out of patience. The film shown by 'Newsnight' showed various towns where many of these migrants have landed up, and many of the Italian's were saying 'saying enough is enough.'
The far right benefiting from the arrivals
Parties like the Northern League are making political capital out of this as are groups like the AFD in Germany. Likewise, UKIP in the UK and other right-wing groups such as Britain First are also making this an issue. With many European countries bearing the weight of austerity it is understandable why many Europeans would turn to these parties.
Austria for example who came very near to having a far right president is going to start to station troops on their border.
Even though many migrants have left Italy and gone on to places like Germany, a large residual group of migrants are for now staying behind.
Many of the migrants appear to be mostly young men from the main sub-Saharan African Continent. Having said that there are also Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans, and others arriving from Libya who are often at the mercy of criminals.
Indeed it was suggested on 'Newsnight' that because many of the migrants are just coming to Europe for a better life the NGO ships picking them up could be breaking the law.
Is it time to adopt a 'turn back the boats policy' as Australia did?
It has been suggested that the Navy's of the EU should intercept these migrant boats and tow them back.
This may seem a harsh policy but it appears to have worked in Australia who until recently also had a huge migrant problem.
The idea was to use the Australian Navy to meet these people at sea and tow them to Papua New Guinea where they could Seek Asylum. Many of these migrants are housed in camps until they are ready to be assessed by PNG immigration officers. It is to be assumed that PNG is not doing this for nothing and will be receiving some financial aid from Australia.
This policy seems to have worked in Australia with less migrant boats appearing in Australian territorial waters. Is it time Europe adopted the same policy with the agreement perhaps, of North African countries where these migrants can seek asylum as in PNG.
If the news got through that Europe was taking a tough line with migrants coming via the sea, less would come -- in theory. A direct effect would be that the right wing would see a drop in their support and people smugglers would less be able to exploit the migrants.
Surely this is an idea whose time has come as Europe is gearing up for yet another surge of migrants.
