Originally published on the CGS blog on May 13, 2015.
As many as one million desperate refugees and migrants will brave the Mediterranean Sea to flee conflict, oppression, and instability in Africa and the Middle East this year in hopes of reaching the relative safety of Europe. Desperation leads these migrants to human traffickers and onto rickety, unseaworthy boats ill-suited for the trip. Around 900 passengers died in one tragic incident last month; an estimated 1,800 have died so far in 2015.
These families are fleeing for a reason. They’re seeking refuge from conflict and crisis in Libya, Syria, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen, among others.
These aren’t the only refugee crises in the world, but they are affecting Europe most seriously. The exodus of refugees is putting substantial strain on the EU’s Mediterranean member states while the rest of Europe tries to determine how much money and resources it’s willing to spend to help.
The EU and its member states have struggled greatly with the appropriate response, but many observers agree that this is an issue for all of Europe, not just the European South, and the more closely they can coordinate policy, the better.
That’s not good enough. This isn’t merely a European problem. It’s a problem for all of us as global citizens to solve together.
First, we need to realize that Europeans aren’t the only stakeholders in this crisis. While their concerns about resources and the logistics of managing so many people are understandable, the simple truth is that these refugees are individuals with human rights and their lives are inherently worthwhile. If their lives, dignity, and rights are under threat, this crisis immediately rises to global concern.
The worth of these refugees’ lives and the threat to those lives doesn’t begin when they step on a boat. From the myriad political and economic problems that generate the oppression and armed conflict that cause them to flee to the under-funded refugee camps and predatory human traffickers along their route, each injustice in their lives prior to getting on those boats is a matter of concern for the global community. We have a responsibility to address the crimes and abuses fueling this desperation.
But it isn’t merely a matter of idealistic cosmopolitan ethics, either. The United States and a host of other nations have participated in conflicts in Iraq and Syria, whether in active combat or in support roles for other combatants, and we can’t forget Russia and Iran’s support of the Assad regime. The Libya conflict, one of the most important contributors to the daily flotilla on the Mediterranean, was sparked by a US-led intervention that included NATO and partners in the Middle East. Various conflicts and injustice in Africa include active participation from some states or practiced indifference from others. We are all implicated in these tragedies to some extent.
The Mediterranean migrant crisis isn’t just a problem for Greece, Italy, or Spain to solve, and it’s not solely a European problem, either. Because of our responsibilities to our fellow humans, the global community has a role to play in ensuring that these hundreds of thousands of refugees either no longer need to be refugees or have safe, livable accommodations—near their homelands where possible, or in wealthier countries where necessary. This means a more engaged, comprehensive commitment from the United Nations to resolving these conflicts. But it also means that key Security Council members such as the US, Russia, and China must recognize that the conflicts they support directly and indirectly have repercussions far beyond those conflicts themselves, and the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean is but one consequence of their actions. It’s time we all accepted responsibility.
