Were the migrants drowned on purpose by the traffickers? [Poss distressing pictures on the thread - MNHQ)

[grenedeer]

Sorry if this upsets anybody, but I wondered if the boat that sank in the Mediterranean on Sunday was a cynical ploy by the traffickers/smugglers? It's in their best interests for lots of people to want to pay vast sums of money to get into Europe, so if the boats are being sent back eventually less people will pay to be smuggled in, as the chance of success will get less and less. By causing the deaths of 100s of innocent people are the smugglers hoping the EU will be horrified at the loss of life and start rescuing the boats again and taking people straight to Europe?

I hope I'm wrong as it seems such a horrendous thing to do but it seems quite a coincidence that another catastrophe has happened so soon after all the publicity and especially with reports of people being locked in their cabins so they didn't stand a chance of surviving.

I totally understand why people would want to seek a safer, more secure life for themselves and their families but I wonder if the governments are able to tackle the criminals that are taking advantage of these people's desperation?

Well the captain and a crew member have been arrested in Italy. I don't suppose they are the ring leaders of the smuggling racquet but I suppose it's something.

Yup.

"Are you serious? I'm guessing none of them are highly skilled people."

does that make their lives less valuable or something?
god some people are just amazing.
I would really like to do something to help , not sure what.

Well maybe if the rest of Europe got off their backsides and actually helped Italy then something might be done....Its taken this terrible terrible incident to get this back into the press again ...No country wants them when they do arrive the island of Lampedusa is full to the brim , the centres where they go cannot physically take any more but yet they keep coming .

I think the RAF should be out there doing search and rescue instead of endless training exercises over the Welsh countryside.

Personally I don't think the traffickers deliberately killed the migrants. I think it was an accident waiting to happen though given the over crowding and, I assume, poor condition of the boat. From the news stories, it was just a matter of time.

to quantify 26,000 since the start of the year. 11,000 in 6 days - ( article written on 17/April).

I was stunned hearing about how the children died because they had been locked into the hold below deck. I though people stopped doing this sort of thing with the Titanic but apparently not.

I can see why you wouldn't want small children running around on deck but why would you lock them in?

I can't imagine how desperate you'd have to be to find this sort of money to pay traffickers and get into a boat which doesn't look seaworthy in the hope of a better life with your small children.

There is no room on deck they are squashed in like sardines. every space is taken as they cram more people in. They don't walk around as there is no space I imagine they just sit and pray that they get there.

www.google.it/search?q=lampedusa+migranti+images&rlz=1C1CHFX_itIT518IT533&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=979&tbm=isch&imgil=5fG7QYTPVU6OMM%253A%253BJ9O6Ih40WkvYjM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.rai.it%25252Fdl%25252Ftg3%25252Farticoli%25252FContentItem-a2824578-17f8-4087-9916-71ece14475a6.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=5fG7QYTPVU6OMM%253A%252CJ9O6Ih40WkvYjM%252C_&usg=__Yi5wt9lSN2BVtEqRx4NUCuyrges%3D&ved=0CDcQyjc&ei=-xw2VfvDOuv9ywOPr4CwAQ#imgrc=5fG7QYTPVU6OMM%253A%3BJ9O6Ih40WkvYjM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.rai.it%252Fdl%252Fimages%252F1302456265511lampedusa_migranti_new.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.rai.it%252Fdl%252Ftg3%252Farticoli%252FContentItem-a2824578-17f8-4087-9916-71ece14475a6.html%3B460%3B307 try having a look here and you will see what I mean

Sorry to put it in such cold terms but presumably the traffickers want the boat back at the end of each crossing in order to fill it up and set it off again? So deliberate sinking costs them the money to buy another boat (although I can't tell what happens in these cases where the crew flees and leaves the boat floating in Italian waters, presumably the boat is confiscated and they have to buy a new one - so may just be seen as an overhead of the crossing).

What a tragic waste of life.

this is just so horrible...what a horrendous way to go....i do hope.something is done now, human traffickers are just evil arent they?..its not the same ..but ross kemp did an incredible episode. about people fleeing honduras and went on the journey with them to show how perilous it is, any ukipmonger should really watch it....as ridiculous as this will sound why couldn't immigrants/refugees be sent to a mediterreanean island? if the country is too small ...ive often wondered this about Britain ...all those un populated island's.

What I want to know is though, if they can find the 2000+ euros to pay the traffickers, why can't they find that money to go to an embassy and apply there? Or for a plane ticket?

I don't know about other countries but Britain has embassies all over Africa, including in Tunisia. Why not spend the money going via the safe, legal route?

Why not spend the money going via the safe, legal route?

Er...because they wouldn't get in?

Because they (the asylum seekers) might not even know about that way, even if it did work for them in their own particular circs.

I imagine people traffickers are very good at selling themselves as the only hope

The legal routes have been minimised as much as possible by Western governments. It's not just a case of hopping on a plane. In addition, although many people attempting these sea crossings are from conflict zones/fleeing repression, many others are economic migrants in search of a better life. Apparently many of the people on the boat that sank were from Bangladesh. They wouldn't quality for asylum.

I also imagine a lot of these people don't have passports so wouldn't be able to hop on a plane.

They don't have passports as they don't want to be sent back to where they have come from.

Many people do get visit visas and claim asylum on entry or shortly after. It counts against them as they lied to get the visa.

If the government is after you, it's often not the best move to apply to them for a passport and then get on a plane. You'll likely get stopped at the airport.

The traffickers forbid them from taking any id on these trips.