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From waves of dinghies setting off from Libya to the appearance of privately-funded rescue ships, the face of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean has changed greatly over the past few years.

Overcrowding dinghies

Up until 2014, people traffickers took migrants headed for Europe out into international waters on "mother ships" before transferring them to smaller boats.

But when Rome launched Mare Nostrum in late 2013, Italy began to catch smugglers in international waters, forcing the criminals to change tactics, stay in Libyan waters and put people out to sea in expendable rubber boats which easily sank.

Their business model changed too. In early 2015 many Syrians - who had previously accounted for about 25 percent of passengers departing from Libya and could afford to pay more for the journey - switched to the Balkan route.

Photo: Giovanni Isolino/AFP

To recover their loses in the central Mediterranean, traffickers upped the number of passengers per vessel. They also largely stopped issuing satellite phones, meaning those in trouble could not call for help.

In 2015 Italy's coast guard registered 676 dinghies - 80 percent of which had a satellite phone on board - carrying an average of 103 people. By 2016 the number of dinghies had risen to 1,094 - with only 45 percent carrying a satellite phone, but each with an average of 122 passengers.

Mass departures stretched rescue resources to the limits: over 13,000 people were saved in five days at the end of May 2016, another 14,000 in four days in August - including a record of 7,000 in one day - and 10,800 at the start of October.

Tragedies bring rescuers

In 2014, about 70 percent of migrants were rescued by the Italian navy and coast guard, and 24 percent by commercial ships. But amid complaints it was serving as a "bridge to Europe" for migrants, Italy axed Mare Nostrum.

The safety line was cut, but departures continued, and after two shipwrecks killed 1,200 people in April 2015 the European Union beefed up its Frontex border control's Operation Triton and launched the Sophia anti-smuggling operation.

The tragedies also prompted the launch of privately-funded rescue vessels, with up to a dozen boats taking part at present.

Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

The larger boats combined rescued 26 percent of migrants in 2016, while the smaller ones handed out life jackets and gave emergency care to those in distress while help from bigger vessels arrived.

Italy's navy and coast guard still perform 40 percent of rescues, while the Sophia operation carries out 13 percent and Frontex 7.5 percent, according to the coast guard.

Despite their efforts, over 4,500 migrants died or were missing and feared drowned in 2016, and another 1,000 have met the same fate this year. Some succumb to the cold or dehydration, or are suffocated by fuel fumes, or trapped in overcrowded boats.

READ MORE: Why Italy is seeing a surge in winter migrant arrivals

A profitable business

In total, nearly 550,000 migrants arrived in Italy between 2013 and 2016, and 37,000 have landed in the country so far this year.

Photo: AFP

According to Sophia, some Libyan coastal areas derive 50 percent of their income from smuggling migrants. A dinghy with 100 passengers can fetch up to 67,000 euros ($73,000), while a wooden boat with 400 people can earn up to 380,000 euros.

Frontex estimates the business has a turnover of between four and six billion euros.

READ MORE: Italy arrests suspected migrant traffickers for 'inhumane treatment'

EU's strategy

The European Union is in the process of training and equipping Libyan coast guards so they will be able to prevent departures or at least stop boats reaching international waters.

So far this year over 4,000 migrants have been intercepted, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

The idea is that they be escorted back to camps in Libya, and then returned to their home countries where possible.

But human rights organizations have said the chaotic situation in crisis-hit Libya makes it impossible to declare it a safe place to return migrants, while many of those fleeing war or persecution cannot be simply returned home.

By Fanny Carrier

READ ALSO: Meet the Italian doctor giving hope to thousands of migrants

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The changing face of the Mediterranean migrant crisis - The Local Italy

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The former Tory leader claimed the EU may cease to exist if the crisis is not resolved, and that the UK will play a key role as the future migration crisis is the one that will break the Schengen zone, the EU, and the mainstream leadership of Europe" if it is left to develop.

With the population across the Middle East and Africa expected to double over the course of 30 years an increase of one billion people according to Sir William, he warned the crisis could overwhelm Europe and may lead to Ms Le Pen coming to power in years to come.

REUTERS

1 of 8

Geert Wilders wants to 'de-Islamicise' the Netherlands, hopes clashes between Turkish-Dutch protesters and the police, along with Ankara's accusations of Dutch 'fascism', will help bolster his chances of finishing first

Writing in the Telegraph, Sir Hague warned: "Those who imagine that the populist tide is now defeated will be in for a terrible shock unless people feel much better about the future in a few years time than they feel today."

He maintained that "populists, including Marine Le Pen, will be back with a vengeance", if Mr Macron refuses to take action.

Mr Macron, France's youngest ever president, is a strong supporter of the European Union.

The 39-year-old walked out to the EUs Anthem of Europe at his victory rally and used his first speech as president-elect to profess his support for the bloc.

Speaking to the public, he said: "I'll defend France, I'll defend Europe, and will strengthen links between Europe and its people."

Sir William was keen to highlight the initiatives Britain and France has previously embarked upon together to take in migrants from failed states, but that other Europeans need to do much more.

While there are no simple answers to the growing crisis, Mr Hague urged European countries to destroy people-smuggling operations and deter people from risking their lives in crowded boats that are not sea worthy.

GETTY

The former Tory leader downplayed Mr Macron's victory, claiming it was an unenthusiastic landslide because the independent candidate was elected for what he is not.

Sir William added: Rejection of established leaders and policies was the real story of this election, in a country with slow growth, high unemployment, excessive taxes, obstructive trade unions and growing cultural divisions."

Read the original:
'Macron NEEDS Britain' Migrant crisis may lead to Le Pen victory in the future, Hague says - Express.co.uk

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Overcrowding dinghies

Up until 2014, people traffickers took migrants headed for Europe out into international waters on mother ships before transferring them to smaller boats.

But when Rome launched Mare Nostrum in late 2013, Italy began to catch smugglers in international waters, forcing the criminals to change tactics, stay in Libyan waters and put people out to sea in expendable rubber boats which easily sank.

Their business model changed too. In early 2015 many Syrians who had previously accounted for about 25 percent of passengers departing from Libya and could afford to pay more for the journey switched to the Balkan route.

To recover their loses in the central Mediterranean, traffickers upped the number of passengers per vessel. They also largely stopped issuing satellite phones, meaning those in trouble could not call for help.

In 2015 Italys coast guard registered 676 dinghies 80 percent of which had a satellite phone on board carrying an average of 103 people.

By 2016 the number of dinghies had risen to 1,094 with only 45 percent carrying a satellite phone, but each with an average of 122 passengers.

Mass departures stretched rescue resources to the limits: over 13,000 people were saved in five days at the end of May 2016, another 14,000 in four days in August including a record of 7,000 in one day and 10,800 at the start of October.

Tragedies bring rescuers

In 2014, about 70 percent of migrants were rescued by the Italian navy and coast guard, and 24 percent by commercial ships. But amid complaints it was serving as a bridge to Europe for migrants, Italy axed Mare Nostrum.

The safety line was cut, but departures continued, and after two shipwrecks killed 1,200 people in April 2015 the European Union beefed up its Frontex border controls Operation Triton and launched the Sophia anti-smuggling operation.

The tragedies also prompted the launch of privately-funded rescue vessels, with up to a dozen boats taking part at present.

The larger boats combined rescued 26 percent of migrants in 2016, while the smaller ones handed out life jackets and gave emergency care to those in distress while help from bigger vessels arrived.

Italys navy and coast guard still perform 40 percent of rescues, while the Sophia operation carries out 13 percent and Frontex 7.5 percent, according to the coast guard.

Despite their efforts, over 4,500 migrants died or were missing and feared drowned in 2016, and another 1,000 have met the same fate this year. Some succumb to the cold or dehydration, or are suffocated by fuel fumes, or trapped in overcrowded boats.

A profitable business

In total, nearly 550,000 migrants arrived in Italy between 2013 and 2016, and 37,000 have landed in the country so far this year.

According to Sophia, some Libyan coastal areas derive 50 percent of their income from smuggling migrants. A dinghy with 100 passengers can fetch up to 67,000 euros ($73,000), while a wooden boat with 400 people can earn up to 380,000 euros.

Frontex estimates the business has a turnover of between four and six billion euros.

EUs strategy

The European Union is in the process of training and equipping Libyan coast guards so they will be able to prevent departures or at least stop boats reaching international waters.

So far this year over 4,000 migrants have been intercepted, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

The idea is that they be escorted back to camps in Libya, and then returned to their home countries where possible.

But human rights organisations have said the chaotic situation in crisis-hit Libya makes it impossible to declare it a safe place to return migrants, while many of those fleeing war or persecution cannot be simply returned home.

Read the original:
The Changing Face of the Migrant Crisis in Mediterranean - Breitbart News

Brussels chiefs urgethe Chinese to do more to stop rubber boats falling into the hands of traffickersin the Med

THE EU has blamed China for fuelling the migrant crisis by failing to clamp down on sales of inflatable dinghies.

Brussels chiefs urged the Chinese to do more to stop rubber boats made there falling into the hands of people smugglers.

Getty Images

The traffickers have packed migrants into hundreds of the boats for treacherous journeys across the Med.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU commissioner for migration, said: China can help and support the EU in its fight against migrant smugglers.

I requested the support and cooperation from the Chinese authorities in order to track down this business and dismantle it.

Getty Images

EPA

Because what they produce is not serving the common good of the country.

The comments followed a meeting with Chinas public security minister Guo Shengkun.

They come as Brussels braces itself for another harrowing spike in numbers of migrants desperate to reach Europe as the weather improves.

More than 1.5million refugees and migrants have made their way to Europe since 2015.

So far this year, more than 1,000 migrants are thought to have died in waters between Libya and Italy.

Some 37,000 have been rescued and brought to Italy.

Last year Italian coastguards recovered more than a thousand boats packed with an average of 122 passengers.

Reuters

Separately Austria said it wanted to change the rules governing the EUs passport free Schengen zone to extend temporary customs controls due to expire later this year.

Brussels has told EU member states a six-month extension from May must be the final one.

Austria, Denmark, Germany and Sweden introduced the checks in 2015 in a desperate bid to tackle the migrant crisis.

Read more from the original source:
EU blames China for fuelling migrant crisis by failing to stop sales of inflatable DINGHIES to people smugglers - The Sun

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The Porte de Le Chapelle migrant camp is the largest outdoor makeshift camp in the French capital and is home to several hundred migrants, most of whom come from African countries like Sudan, Eritrea, and Nigeria.

Breitbart London spoke to several of the migrants at the camp, and all of them blamed the French government and Europe for their situation, demanding documentation and access to welfare.

Rolando, 25, said he had only come to Paris two months ago through West Africa and Libya taking a six-day sea voyage to eventually land in Italy. Wearing a Lonsdale tracksuit, the young Nigerian said he had taken a six-month course in international relations and wanted to start a family in France.

He said fighting between migrants was normal, though the police presence that day was increased due to a lorry having overturned next to the camp. Last month, a mass brawlbroke out during food distribution at the camp involving 50 migrants which ended with one man being seriously injured.

Rolando said he didnt like the French people, saying: They prefer seeing us on the streets suffering. I observe people passing by, whenever they gazed at us they would be smiling! As if they are happy seeing us suffering, you understand?

He went on to say: We blame them, for what they did to Africa! Lets assume that they did not spoil our country, you wouldnt have seen me here.

According to Rolando, the terrorist organisations attacking his country like Boko Haram were created by the British spy agency MI6. Our generation are smarter. A white man can not come and deceive me, he said.

Many of the migrants said they were hungry, though charities like the group Utopia 56 often deliver food to the camps in Paris and elsewhere in France. When asked about these pro-migrant NGOs one 32-year-old said: They are bullshit. They deliver water and you know. We dont need nothing, and said hewanted documents from the government instead.

Formerly, the main migrant camp was located near the Stalingrad metro station, which saw mass brawls between the hundreds of migrants who lived there late last year. The former camp has since been cleared by police and the area fenced off to prevent migrants from camping there again.

Stalingrad Metro Station in Paris, site of the former migrant camp. Photo: Chris Tomlinson/Breitbart London

The migrants also said there were more people coming to the camp by the day. Anti-mass migration French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has promised to close the borders of France to prevent further migration. Ms. Le Pen also said she will get France out of the European Unions open-borders Schengen zone and has promised a referendumon EU membership itself.

Le Pen has been gaining ground on her pro-EU rival Emmanuel Macron in recent polls going into the second round of the French election on 7 May.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJor email at ctomlinson@breitbart.com

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Exclusive: Paris Migrants 'Blame Europe' for the Migrant Crisis - Breitbart News