Laura Ribera and Ibrahima Dabo
The situation in the Mediterranean is critical. European governments tell us that it is critical for security reasons.
Their logic, and that of the European Union (EU), is that borders need protecting, to keep out “outsiders”. Meanwhile, NGOs, citizens’ movements and part of public opinion maintain that the situation is critical for humanitarian reasons and because of the large number of people who die in the crossing.
We’ve read about Matteo Salvini closing off Italy’s ports to people rescued in international waters, about different European countries’ refusal to allow specialised rescue workers to give assistance at sea or that Libya is considered a safe country for the return of migrants. Such headlines appear in the mainstream media, with no deeper explanation. Seguir leyendo Crisis in the Mediterranean: Open the borders