Refugees Deeply | 29.08.2017
As the number of migrants crossing the western Mediterranean accelerated this year, so did the alarmist headlines. Coventry University’s Simon McMahon puts the numbers in context and says there is little evidence yet that migrant routes are shifting from Italy to Spain.
Simon McMahon
The headlines state it clearly, and in capital letters. “Migrant Crisis: Spain Rescues 600 People in Busiest Day,” wrote the BBC. “Spain Rescues HUNDREDS of Migrants Crossing From Morocco,” exclaimed the U.K.’s Express. According to these reports, there is a growing migrant crisis in Spain as the number of people crossing the Strait of Gibraltar by boat increases. The problem is, in most of them there’s a little evidence, a lot of dramatizing and not much perspective. So is it right to speak of a crisis?
The available data does show an upturn in boat migration from Morocco to Spain. There have been consistent increases in the number of people seeking to reach Spain irregularly by boat over the past five years. According to the UNHCR, 3,237 arrivals were recorded by sea in 2013 but by 2016 this had more than doubled to 8,162. In 2017, this process has accelerated and by mid-August there were 9,738 people recorded having made the sea journey. This was more than in all of the previous year.
Weiterlesen »