A month after the shipwreck in which some 800 immigrants died in the Mediterranean, the European Union has given the ‘yes’ to the military operation. On an unprecedented mission, the warships and aircraft of European armies will be deployed on the shores of Libya, the main departure point for immigrants. In 2014, 170,000 people arrived by sea in this part of the Mediterranean. At the same time, according to some reports, 7,000 people are in the drifting sea in the Gulf of Bengal, particularly in Burma. It appears that more than 100 people have already died on these boats as a result of the unrest that has arisen among immigrants in order to obtain food. They will soon become a floating cemetery. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are looking for solutions.

For governments, it is easier to do military operations, to act against immigrants and to attack traffickers. The latter is something that needs to be taken into account, but it is not the solution for resolving immigration in the Mediterranean and South-East Asia. The causes of origin must be tackled. That is why the solution must be economic and political. Europe and North America know that, but … Economic solutions are needed so that no one is forced to migrate in order to survive. A good start could be to return what has been exploited and stolen to those countries that export immigrants. The IMF and the World Bank, which have participated in the expolio, can allocate their funds there. And there are also political solutions for warring countries. We know that many of these conflicts are promoted, driven and paid by rich countries.

Political managers, international organisations and civil society themselves cannot stand still, but a solution must be found to this humanitarian emergency. We cannot allow the world’s seas to remain a graveyard for immigrants. We are all responsible.