Desperation at Sea

It was early in the morning on April 17, 2015, and ­15-year-old Ali* sat in an inflatable plastic boat in the Mediterranean Sea. It had been three months since he climbed into the back of a pickup truck to leave his home in the ­African nation of Somalia. ­Desperate to escape the violence and poverty of his homeland, he’d arranged for smugglers to take him 4,400 miles across the Sahara ­Desert to the coast of Libya. 

Now, crammed in the small boat with about 70 other migrants and refugees, he dreamed of starting a new life in Europe. 

But after a few hours at sea, a hole appeared in the front of the boat and air started leaking out. Some of the passengers tried ­frantically to cover the opening, while others used a satellite phone to call the Italian coast guard. It took six hours for help to arrive.  

“Those six hours were the worst moments of my life,” says Ali. “I thought I would never live again.”

Luckily, everyone onboard ­survived. Hours later, they were taken to a reception center for migrants and refugees on the Italian island of Lampedusa. There they were given a hot meal—their first in months—and beds to sleep in.

Ali and his fellow travelers represent just a fraction of the thousands of people who have attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe in recent years. Many are escaping violence, poverty, or persecution in the Middle East and Africa. According to the United Nations (U.N.), more than 100,000 people arrived in Europe by boat in the first half of 2015.

Most, like Ali, are packed into rickety boats that were never meant for the high seas. The ­vessels often lack life jackets and navigation equipment. As of June, more than 1,800 people had drowned attempting the journey, up from 425 during the same period in 2014.

“The situation in the Mediterranean . . . cannot continue like this,” says European Union (E.U.) ­President Donald Tusk. “We ­cannot accept that hundreds of people die when trying to cross the sea to Europe.” 

It was early in the morning on April 17, 2015. Fifteen-year-old Ali* sat in an inflatable plastic boat in the Mediterranean Sea. It had been three months since he climbed into the back of a pickup truck to leave his home in the ­African nation of Somalia. ­Desperate to escape the violence and poverty of his homeland, he had arranged for smugglers to take him 4,400 miles across the Sahara ­Desert to the coast of Libya.

Now, crammed in the small boat with about 70 other migrants and refugees, he dreamed of starting a new life in Europe.

But after a few hours at sea, a hole appeared in the front of the boat and air started leaking out. Some of the passengers tried ­frantically to cover the opening. Others used a satellite phone to call the Italian coast guard. It took six hours for help to arrive.

“Those six hours were the worst moments of my life,” says Ali. “I thought I would never live again.”

Luckily, everyone onboard ­survived. Hours later, they were taken to a reception center for migrants and refugees on the Italian island of Lampedusa. There, they were given their first hot meal in months, and beds to sleep in.

Ali and his fellow travelers represent just a fraction of the thousands of people who have tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe in recent years. Many are escaping violence, poverty, or persecution in the Middle East and Africa. According to the United Nations (U.N.), more than 100,000 people arrived in Europe by boat in the first half of 2015.

Most, like Ali, are packed into rickety boats that were never meant for the high seas. The ­vessels often lack life jackets and navigation equipment. As of June, more than 1,800 people had drowned attempting the journey. That is way up from 425 during the same period in 2014.

“The situation in the Mediterranean . . . cannot continue like this,” says European Union (E.U.) ­President Donald Tusk. “We ­cannot accept that hundreds of people die when trying to cross the sea to Europe.”

Throughout history, millions of people have been forced to flee their homelands—often to escape war, poverty, hunger, disease, ­persecution, or natural disasters. 

Today the U.N. estimates that nearly 60 million people are ­displaced worldwide—more than at any other time ever recorded. (See “A Global Crisis")

Many of those seeking safety in Europe come from Syria, a country in the Middle East being torn apart by a civil war. Since the fighting began in 2011, more than 200,000 people have been killed, and 4 million have fled for their lives. ­Thousands of others are ­running from poor, unstable ­countries in Africa, including Eritrea, Gambia, and Sudan. (See “Mapping Migration”)

Throughout history, millions of people have been forced to flee their homelands. Often, they fled to escape war, poverty, hunger, disease, ­persecution, or natural disasters. Today the U.N. estimates that nearly 60 million people are ­displaced worldwide. That is more than at any other time ever recorded. (See “A Global Crisis”)

Many of the people seeking safety in Europe come from Syria, a country in the Middle East being torn apart by a civil war. Since the fighting began in 2011, more than 200,000 people have been killed. Four million have fled for their lives. Thousands of others are running from poor, unstable countries in Africa, including Eritrea, Gambia, and Sudan. (See “Mapping Migration”)

In Somalia, where Ali was born, a violent militant group known as al-Shabaab has been ­wreaking havoc for years. The group’s aim: to overthrow the country’s ­Western-backed ­government and impose strict Islamic law. ­Al-Shabaab has kidnapped ­hundreds of children on their way to school and forced them to fight on the front lines.

“In my country, there is no peace,” says Ali, whose parents died when he was 9 years old. 

In January, he decided that it was finally time to go. Ali left Somalia with a 19-year-old friend whose father had paid smugglers to take the two teens to Libya. As they traveled north through the Sahara Desert—where ­temperatures can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit—they were given little food or water. Then one day, Ali’s friend fell out of the back of the pickup truck as it sped through the sand. 

“[He] didn’t make it,” says Ali. “We buried him in the desert.”

In Somalia, where Ali was born, a violent militant group known as al-Shabaab has been spreading death and destruction for years. The group’s aim is to overthrow the country’s Western-backed ­government and impose strict Islamic law. ­Al-Shabaab has kidnapped ­hundreds of children on their way to school and forced them to fight on the front lines.

“In my country, there is no peace,” says Ali, whose parents died when he was 9 years old.

In January, Ali decided that it was finally time to go. He left Somalia with a 19-year-old friend. The friend’s father had paid smugglers to take the two teens to Libya. They traveled north through the Sahara Desert, where ­temperatures can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The smugglers gave them little food or water. Then one day, Ali’s friend fell out of the back of the pickup truck as it sped across the sand.

“[He] didn’t make it,” says Ali. “We buried him in the desert.”

For the migrants and refugees who make it to Europe, the future is often unclear. Once they arrive on dry land, they’re taken to reception centers near the Mediterranean coast, where they receive food, shelter, and medical ­attention. Some stay there for months while European officials decide their fates. 

Those who face the greatest dangers at home may be granted asylum, which allows them to stay in Europe permanently. (Asylum is protection given by a ­government to someone who has left their country to escape harm or ­persecution.) But ­thousands of ­others are eventually sent back. (See graphs, below.)

Fortune says that European leaders are reluctant to accept newcomers. Some fear that welcoming foreigners ­will encourage others to try to get to Europe. In addition, some ­leaders are concerned about the effect that migrants and refugees could have on their local ­economies. They worry that natives will have to compete with the ­newcomers for jobs.

For the migrants and refugees who make it to Europe, the future is often unclear. Once they reach dry land, they are taken to reception centers near the Mediterranean coast. There, they get food, shelter, and medical ­attention. Some stay there for months while European officials decide their fates.

Those who face the greatest dangers at home may be granted asylum. That allows them to stay in Europe permanently. (Asylum is protection given by a ­government to someone who has left their country to escape harm or persecution.) But thousands of others are eventually sent back. (See graphs, below.)

Fortune says that European leaders are slow to accept new­comers. Some fear that welcoming foreigners will encourage others to try to get to Europe. In addition, some leaders worry about the effect that migrants and refugees could have on their local economies. 

They worry that natives will have to compete with the newcomers for jobs.

In recent months, governments, humanitarian groups, and other organizations have come together to try to find solutions. This spring, European officials started working on a plan to resettle about 60,000 migrants and refugees across the continent. They also agreed to increase funding for search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

But much more needs to be done, according to Fortune. He says world leaders should help build stable governments in the Middle East and Africa. That way, fewer people would need to seek safety abroad in the first place. Individuals can help too, he says, by raising awareness about the ­crisis.

“This problem isn’t going away,” Fortune notes.

For Ali, the dangerous journey has been worth it. He says that he’s grateful to have arrived safely in Italy and is looking forward to starting over. He hopes he’s allowed to stay so he can continue his education and find a job. 

“I’m looking for a better life,” he says. “I’d like to go to Norway.” 

In recent months, governments, humanitarian groups, and other organizations have come together to try to find solutions. This spring, European officials started working on a plan to resettle about 60,000 migrants and refugees across the continent. They also agreed to increase funding for search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

But much more needs to be done, says Fortune. He says that world leaders should help build stable governments in the Middle East and Africa. That way, fewer people would need to seek safety abroad in the first place. Individuals can help too, he says, by raising awareness about the crisis.

“This problem isn’t going away,” Fortune notes.

For Ali, the dangerous journey has been worth it. He says that he is grateful to have arrived safely in Italy. He is looking forward to starting over. He hopes he will be allowed to stay so he can continue his education and find a job.

“I’m looking for a better life,” he says. “I’d like to go to Norway.”

*Name has been changed for privacy

*Name has been changed for privacy