In the Mediterranean Sea, fishermen are caught in the midst of the growing crisis involving stranded migrants desperately trying to reach the shores of Europe.
Thousands of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa make their way to Libya, where civil war, violence and a lack of central government force them to flee. The refugees end up paying human smugglers who set them adrift in flimsy, overcrowded rafts; many have died.
Fisherman from the neighboring country of Tunisia often encounter stranded rafts and are forced to abandon their nets and take on considerable risk and added fuel costs to ferry the refugees back to safety.
In one small Tunisian town, local fishermen say they have rescued 500 migrants off the African coast in the last six months. The bodies of those not rescued in time continue to wash ashore.
Local offices for the Tunisian Red Crescent — the Red Cross in Muslim countries — do their best to provide food, shelter and basic support for those who return from failed crossings. Many remain for a short time before heading back across the Libyan boarder to attempt the journey again.
The smugglers, who charge around 1,000 U.S. dollars per person, usually let the inexperienced migrants drive the boat themselves with almost no tools to navigate. The journey can take more than a day, and the poorly-made rafts frequently capsize or spring leaks.
Ousman Kebbeh from Gambia attempted the crossing three times and was brought to Tunisia after his boat filled with water on the last attempt. “You just [sit] inside the boat, waiting for our time to die,” he said.
Ousman has nothing but praise for the fishermen rescuers. “They are good people, they love the sea, so they can’t just see people die and leave them like that,” he said. “They save many lives in the sea. Not only us, but many people. And I hope they are still doing it.”
Warm up questions
-
Where is Libya?
-
How would you travel from Libya to Italy?
-
Why are men, women and children fleeing their countries and trying to get to Europe?
Critical thinking questions
-
What sort of risks are the Tunisian fishermen taking on by rescuing stranded migrants? Why do you think they do it?
-
What can be done to alleviate the number of people dying while making the journey to Europe?
-
What would make a person attempt such a dangerous crossing three times after nearly drowning?
-
Why should we care about this situation? What can the government and the people of the United States do to help?
