EU responds to Lampedusa tragedy

(Vatican Radio) European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso visited the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday, together with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

Their visit followed last week’s tragic shipwreck just off the island’s shores, in which an estimated 350 African migrants were killed.

Listen to Giulia Cirillo's report:

"The island of Lampedusa is the southernmost point of Italian territory, lying 115km from the nearest point in Sicily, and only 70km from the north-African coast. Famous since the 1950s as a popular tourist destination, in the last 2 decades it has increasingly become a focal point of Italian and European debates on immigration.

Every year, thousands of African refugees attempt to reach the shores of Lampedusa in order to seek asylum in Europe. But crossing the Mediterranean is an incredibly risky gamble for these migrants, who are crammed onto unsafe boats, well past capacity, by traffickers hoping to make as much money as possible from each dangerous journey.

In the latest tragedy, a boat carrying some 500 mainly Eritrean migrants capsized less than 1km from the shore of Lampedusa last week, after the trafficker on board set fire to a blanket, in the hope of attracting attention. The fire spread almost instantly due to petrol spillage, and a panicked rush towards the far end of the boat caused the vessel to lose its precarious balance and capsize. Until that moment, the migrants had been unable to move throughout the 24 hour journey, sitting tightly packed on the deck and in the hull. Only 153 people survived the shipwreck, leaving the estimated death toll at approximately 350. According to survivors, the boat had been stationary just off the coast for almost 2 hours when the fire broke out. At least 2 local fishing vessels had passed nearby, but no-one had stopped to help – unsurprising in light of the fact that Italian citizens can face up to 15 years in jail for assisting illegal immigrants, under the so-called Bossi-Fini legislation.

In the wake of this tragedy, the Italian and European governments have been quick to express solidarity. The EU has unveiled plans for an international coastguard force, which would patrol the Mediterranean seeking to prevent such diasters. During an official visit to Lampedusa on Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced Italy will hold a state funeral for the deceased migrants, while the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso also pledged 30 million euros of EU funds to help refugees in Italy.

But many are skeptical of these promises of support, which have been heard before, and come at a time when governments are unwilling to spend the money required to see these commitments through. Residents of Lampedusa gathered at the airport today to heckle Mr Barroso, in protest over the tragedy of migrant deaths and the terrible living conditions of survivors. Over 1000 migrants are currently crammed into Lampedusa’s Centre for First Aid and Welcome, which has a maximum capacity of about 200, and many are without shelter during the rainy nights.

It remains to be seen whether political attitudes towards the issue of migration really will change in the wake of the latest tragedy. One thing is certain – the islanders of Lampedusa are tired of dealing with this problem alone.