Yet again some Bangladeshis have perished in the sea as they were trying to illegally enter Europe. Barely seven months ago, a total of 60 illegal migrants, mostly from Bangladesh, died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on the way to Italy from Libya.
This is just the latest incident of many where migrants are facing perilous journeys on high seas and certain death after being hoodwinked by human traffickers. Harrowing images of dead bodies in water are nothing new. All over the world, conflict, strife and persecution of minorities continue to trigger illegal boat trafficking in people towards economically developed nations. But it is not simply enough to say that such treatment of human beings is intolerable. According to the International Organisation for Migration's missing migrants' project, more than 4,000 people have died or gone missing on migratory routes around the globe for each of the last five years.
Little do the desperate people know that the economic condition in the so called nations of comfort and opulence is also precarious with many European countries grappling with recession and the rise of extreme far right political ideologies . Within these countries, which have a reputation of being prosperous, there is high unemployment with a rising anti immigration sentiment bordering on unmasked xenophobia.
Countless people who managed to cross the sea and crossed into territorial waters of Europe often ended up in crowded refugee shelters following an uncertain future. When the real picture against the much publicised image of milk and honey is so grim, people need to weigh the pros and cons before being beguiled by embellished pledges made by traffickers and unscrupulous agents. While it is true that political plus economic instability in many nations are driving people to take risks, no one is allowed on a boat to Europe for free.
Everyone has to pay for the passage which often costs up to ten thousand dollars. Rationally speaking, with that amount of money, anyone can start a small business in one's own country and earn a living. The trend to impulsively jump into migration boats is mostly among people of developing nations, Bangladesh included, and unless the governments of these countries carry out mass awareness programmes, such illegal enterprises will go on and unfortunate ones will end up dead while trying to catch an elusive paradise.
Better detection technology and adequate levels of personnel are certainly important. So is effective punishment for the people-traffickers and smugglers.
