Mediterranean Hope – March Newsletter
A Global Response for Refugees
By Marta Bernardini e Francesco Piobbichi – Lampedusa, Agrigento (NEV), March 11, 2015 – By following the latest news, we believe that there is a novelty arising within the debate on immigration. This may depend on the awareness, now spreading among the public opinion, that we are facing a historic event that, due to its size, needs to be addressed with a global action. Read More
Forced Migration: a Common Responsibility
By Federica Tourn – We have discussed with Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, an expert on migration, the “direct” involvement of third countries in search and rescue operations as proposed by Minister Alfano at the European Parliament (of Tunisia in particular), yesterday’s ISIS terrorist attack, the impact of Frontex in facing the humanitarian emergency, the growing number of forced migrants landing on our shores. On March 17th, Vassallo Paleologo attended the conference “What does the Mediterranean teach us?”, organized by the Casa delle Culture (House of Cultures) in Scicli (Ragusa, Sicily). Read More
Immigrants Cheated Again
By Stefano Liberti – The idea of opening in some African countries centres to process EU asylum applications has been increasingly debated in Brussels and other European capitals. Launched by the Italian government during its presidency in 2014 and known as the “Khartoum process”, this proposal is supported by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière and French and Austrian governments. Theoretically, this idea would have some positive consequences, as pointed out by Luigi Manconi, President of the Human Rights Committee of the Italian Senate and a strong supporter of the initiative. The proposal “would avoid the illegal crossing of the Mediterranean and the risks involved in it. It would place asylum seekers in different European countries based on limited and balanced numbers. Read More
Immigration Flows: No Concentration but Relieving Congestion
by Paolo Naso – To date, we do not know if the so-called “Khartoum process” supported by Renzi’s government during the Italian EU Presidency will have a future or if it is one of the many “working hypothesis” put in place to involve other European countries in facing immigration flows in the Mediterranean. Whatever interpretation we provide, it is clear that the “process” is wrapped in uncertainty, and this is raising some concerns. Read More
The disintegration of the Mediterranean in the 21st Century
by Tonino Perna – Until the 1970s, economic exchanges in the euro-Mediterranean area accounted for about a quarter of global trade. In the following decades, this area suffered a long economic and political decline on the world stage, and today trade in the Mediterranean accounts for less than 15% of world trade. Read More