Hundreds of migrants drown: Does anyone care!

In what could be the largest single death toll of migrants crossing the dangerous seas from Africa to Europe has largely gone unreported.

That a large number of African migrants have drowned in one episode as their over filled boat capsized is not disputed. Local agencies cannot confirm whether that number is 100 or 400. Those survivors from that mass tragedy talk about 100’s dying at sea.

But if you were to look at the front pages over the last few days this humanitarian tragedy of catastrophic proportions is nowhere to be seen. Only in the inside pages can you find any news of African’s dying at sea in their bid to flee war and poverty.

Europe’s response to this global refugee problem, with its epicentre in the Middle East and North Africa, has been, ‘make sure they don’t arrive here. Anywhere but here’.

Last week the Pope tried to shame rich countries such as the UK by literally going to a refugee camp in Greece and taking 12 refugees back to the papal city.

Africa and African’s weep at the loss of life and the conditions which many are forced to escape from, but Europe seems cold and inhuman to this plight.

Will they ever care?

Simon Woolley