Migration on the Central Mediterranean route – managing flows, saving lives

In 2016, a record high number of refugees and migrants sought to reach the European shores across the Central Mediterranean. Over 181,000 people were detected on the route in 2016, the vast majority of whom reached Italy. 2016 was also a record year for the number of lives lost at sea: over 4,500 people drowned in the attempt to cross. The Central Mediterranean route is now once again the dominant route for migrants and refugees to reach Europe as it used to be before the surge in arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean in late 2015 and early 2016. The human suffering and cost of this is intolerable.

There are many reasons that explain the rising influx of migrants through the Central Mediterranean route, instability in Libya but also wider factors like violent conflicts and economic situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those drivers are unlikely to fade away in the near future, resulting in sustained flows adding to the pressure borne by the most affected EU Member States, Italy and Malta.

It is clear that as of spring 2017, if no further action is taken, uncontrolled irregular migration flows along the Central Mediterranean route will continue. Therefore, the EU and its Member States need to identify and take forward operational actions that can make a difference ahead of next spring and summer. Coordinated action by the EU must be carried out in close cooperation with Member States and where Member States are engaged in efforts of their own – notably in the case of Italy and Malta – the EU's efforts will be designed to flank and support those efforts, by mobilising all the tools available at EU level with a coherent joined-up approach.

This Joint Communication identifies a set of key actions that can have direct impact and focuses on those which can be set in motion in a relatively short period of time, targeting the various stages along the Central Mediterranean route. They are part of a comprehensive strategy, which has a strong focus on the route through Libya but also take into account the wider regional context (in particular Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria) with a view to preventing a displacement of the route and avoiding any negative repercussions for the neighbours. It also takes into account the importance of the involvement of Libyan municipalities and to work closely with international organisations, such as IOM and UNHCR, active in the country.

ESO: Background information: Managing migration along the Central Mediterranean Route – Commission contributes to Malta discussion http://www.europeansources.info/record/managing-migration-along-the-central-mediterranean-route-commission-contributes-to-malta-discussion/

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