Mediterranean Graveyard

Dr. Daniela DeBono’s lecture on immigration and the migrant crisis was very interesting and helped me better understand what is going on throughout the Mediterranean. Also, being able to hear the stories of the refugees in Sicily gave us all a new perspective on this crisis. It amazes me that people my age leave their families and risk their lives to flee to Europe. In speaking about her firsthand experience at hotspots, Dr. DeBono emphasized how many young children make the journey as well. This is shocking to me because I could not imagine doing something like this in my life, and learning more about the migrant crisis has helped me realize how lucky I am and how much I have to be thankful for. Through listening to Dr. DeBono’s lecture, it was easy to understand that the level of organization in terms of humanity is very poor. She mentioned that when refugees got to the wharf they would be handcuffed, even though they showed no acts of violence. Many of the reception centers that the migrants are brought to live in used to be prisons. A camp is not a natural way of living, nor is a detention center a form of hospitality. Do countries help migrants because they are hospitable or do they just want security? It is unfortunate because Mediterranean islands like Lampedusa used to be friends with countries like Tunisia, and now these islands sell Tunisian style couscous yet are afraid of helping migrants because they might have infectious diseases or could be terrorists. It is also sad how many people think about migrants in a way that either benefits or hurts their country. Dr. DeBono mentioned that when migrants are in the high seas, those which are not territorial waters, it is problematic because countries do not care as much about what will happen to those migrants. Due to the intense journey though the seas, many migrants have drowned and suffered and the Mediterranean has become the ultimate graveyard.