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A journey to nowhere?

Two hundred people crammed into a vessel that can barely accommodate 50, food that is almost unfit for human consumption, captains and deckhands who have no knowledge of what lies ahead and above all, rough, treacherous seas that do not respect man or machine. The destination: Europe or Australia.

This is fast becoming an everyday scene in the poorer parts of the world including South Asia. We report today that 16 persons who were trying to leave for Italy illegally by a fishing trawler have been arrested by Matara police yesterday. This is the latest in a spate of human smuggling attempts along the Southern and Western coastal areas of Sri Lanka in recent months.

Human smuggling has become a lucrative global business, with smuggling rings earning millions of dollars from prospective emigrants who are promised a better life in rich countries. Police estimate that each emigrant pays more than Rs.300,000 for passage to Europe. However, the bitter truth is that only a few ever get a chance to taste the high life.

Both Europe and Australia have heightened their Naval defences in order to intercept boats carrying human cargo. Some boats do not even go that far; they just capsize in mid-sea, drowning the emigrants. In some cases, so-called 'captains' abandon their ships as they get closer to the shore, leaving the emigrants at the mercy of authorities. If the immigrants do land on the shores of their chosen country, they are likely to be arrested and housed in crowded camps until the cases are reviewed. In the end, most of the illegal immigrants are repatriated. Even if an immigrant is 'lucky' enough to escape the long arm of the law, it is still not an easy life.

It is rather alarming that Sri Lanka has emerged as a regional centre for human smuggling. More than 50 persons from two South Asian countries were arrested by Lankan police earlier this year. Smugglers are also known to change their starting points frequently to evade law enforcement authorities.

The government and law enforcement agencies must take all possible steps to stop this trend. Both the Police and the Navy should be placed on high alert to stop vessels carrying human cargo. Police should also be on the trail of human smugglers.

While going ahead with deterrent and preventive measures, it is also necessary to examine the causes of this modern phenomenon. The protracted ethnic conflict created a sense of despair especially among the young generation and many parents were anxious to send their sons and daughters abroad. With peace on the horizon and hopes rising for a better future for Sri Lanka, more young people are likely to opt for the safer option of staying at home.

This is why it is important to create more employment opportunities for youth both here and abroad. The government is envisaging an employment drive at home and seeking more opportunities for Lankans to work overseas, but not just in the Middle East.

In this context, it is heartening to note that some European countries are striving to shed the 'Fortress Europe' image by inviting skilled labour from developing countries. This will give the youth from Third World countries a legal avenue to enter rich countries and earn substantially higher wages. In fact, Italy and Sri Lanka have reached just such an agreement, whereby Italy will provide jobs to a considerable number of Sri Lankans.

Of course, illegal immigration and human trafficking are not problems that can be solved overnight. A concerted North-South effort on law enforcement and diplomatic levels is essential to stop these journeys to nowhere.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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