46,320 people have risked their lives to reach Europe by sea so far this year...
...so where do they go now?
More than 45,000 people have risked their lives to come to Europe by sea so far this year. Many make dangerous journeys from countries like Libya and Eritrea. They travel across the Mediterranean Sea and land in Italy, Spain and Greece. In June, Italy said it could not accept any more people and demanded that the European Union (EU) takes action. EU leaders met on 28 and 29 June to discuss the issue.
Who are the people coming to Europe?
There are lots of terms to describe the people who try to enter Europe. A migrant is anyone who travels to another country to live. If they do not have permission to enter that country, they are called illegal immigrants. Some people who travel are asylum seekers. They leave their country because of war, such as the fighting in Syria, or because they are treated cruelly or unfairly. Economic migrants come from poor countries to find a better life. Asylum seekers are usually given permission to stay because of the danger they face at home, and are then known as refugees, but economic migrants are often made to leave.
How to do they reach Europe?
Many migrants travel over the Mediterranean Sea on overcrowded boats that are old and dangerous. It is thought that more than 1,300 people have drowned trying to cross the sea so far this year. They sometimes pay thousands of pounds to smugglers to help them make the journey.
Why did Italy refuse to accept any more?
Under EU rules, migrants are looked after by the first EU country they arrive in. These countries have to give them shelter and food and decide if they can stay in Europe. Italy said this was unfair because so many migrants travel over the Mediterranean and the first countries they reach are in the south of Europe – like Italy. The Italian government says the migrants should be the responsibility of all the
EU, and that there are not enough homes or jobs for them all. Italy is not the only country that is unhappy about the number of people arriving on its shores. Some German politicians want tighter rules to make it more difficult for migrants to travel around Europe. Hungary also wants to stop migrants coming into the EU.
What happened in Brussels?
On 28 and 29 June, the EU held a meeting in Brussels, Belgium. EU leaders including Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Italy, talked for more than nine hours about how to manage the situation. The leaders agreed that centres can be set up around the EU so migrants can be shared out between countries. Officials at the centres will decide who is a refugee and who is an economic migrant. In addition, more money will be given to help countries on the other side of the Mediterranean, such as Turkey, where many migrants begin their journey across the sea.
What was the reaction?
Conte said he was glad that the issue would now be looked after by all EU countries. “We are satisfied… from today, Italy is no longer alone,” he said.
However, Merkel said there was still “a lot of work to do”. Some people also pointed out that the new centres are voluntary, which means that a country can choose whether or not it wants to set one up.