Desperation… painful desperation.

That is what drives millions to abandon the familiarity of their homes to uncertain futures in strange far off lands.

That is the sad plight of the refugee in our combustable world today. And that plight can be deadly.

Over the weekend, a boat carrying African migrants to the Italian Island of Lampedusa (not to be confused with the Greek myth Medusa) sank.  According to survivors, the boat’s engine stopped within a mile of the island.

Desperate for a rescue, migrants set fire to blanket and clothes to gain the coast guard’s attention, igniting a nearby container of benzene and ultimately capsizing the vessel.

 The result? Over 232 people -many of them children- dead. Divers are still discovering more bodies.

 “I don’t know if you know what it is like to see what I saw: a sea filled with people, people calling for help.”

The tragedy raised questions. Some fishermen say the Italian Coast Guard did not act fast enough -even going as far as to accuse them of intentionally letting the migrants die.

This is not the first time something like this has happened- the total death toll of sea born immigrants from Africa since 1988 is an estimated 19,142.  For years, Lampedusa has struggled with the large refugee problem. Italy in particular sees a lot of immigrants from Somalia, Eritrea, and Syria due to internal political anarchy and turmoil. It has made countless pleas to the EU for more help in dealing with the influx.

Despite Europe’s established obligations under the 1951 Refugee convention, some countries have  invested in companies that make it harder for migrants to reach the border through safe  means.

Oops? 

With this latest calamity, maybe the refugee problem in Europe will finally get the attention it needs and deserves.

In the meantime, the survivor’s ordeal is not over. They are going to to have to deal with inadequate facilities, racism, and -in some cases- deportation and a 6,700 dollar fine. Looks like survival comes at a high cost for some.