The world is in the midst of one of the largest migration crises known to man. Europe is no stranger to migrants and has come to know the issues it poses all too well. Violence and poverty are progressing, financial instability is worsening, and civil war is showing no signs of stopping.
Refugees are fleeing from the countries with the most turbulence; Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Mass volumes of people are seeking asylum in the European Union. Germany has the highest rate of asylum applicants in the EU at approximately half a million. Problem arises, however, when another million arrive before they have gone through the application process.
Greece is another attractive destination for refugees due to its easy access by water, especially since most migrants come on the seas. According to the International Organization for Migration approximately 70 percent of migrants arrive by sea and 30 percent by land.
The trek across the Mediterranean Sea has proven to be quite dangerous, but has yet to stop these mass migration movements. Recently the Italian Navy was called to action when over 4,000 refugees were onboard ships that began to capsize on the Mediterranean. Boats filled over their max capacity are one of the major reasons for catastrophe. On the same day, Libyan refugees found trouble on the sea with a death toll of and that is still rising. While many of both refugees and smugglers lost their lives on their journey to a better life, the Italian Navy was able to save 4,000 lives by executing 22 rescue missions.
The European government is working to resolve migration issues and relocate refugees. The European Union has offered asylum to hundreds of thousands of refugees, but cannot handle the mass influx of unlogged refugees that travel as they please. This makes the job of countries willing to accept refugees much more difficult and the conditions for these refugees worse. Major changes need to be made if progress is going to be made in the right direction for helping refugees and stopping the need to mass migrate all together.
