Dear Sir,
Migrants from Africa and the Middle East are braving mounting perils in their quest for a better life as many countries in the two regions are roiled by political strife and civil war.
Most of the 850 people who have drowned off the coast of Libya last week were fleeing Somalia and Libya.
This year so far the number of refugees who had lost their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in rickety vessels had surpassed 1,500, a drastic spike from the same period last year.
While many leaders are calling the situation a humanitarian crisis, there’s a deep xenophobic undercurrent clouding the debate over how Europe should respond. One conservative UK columnist responded to last week’s shipwreck by suggesting that Europe should patrol the Mediterranean with gunships instead of trying to rescue migrant ships.
People leave their homes because no opportunities of growth and development exist for them there. Poverty is driving them to try their luck somewhere else.
The best efforts to end the crisis should start from the migrants’ home countries then. Measures should urgently be taken to improve the economic situation in these countries.
The European Union and the United Nations should work together to tackle the challenge. No country can make it a fortress, shutting out foreigners, in our world now. Desperation will lead people to take extreme steps. Often they prefer death to living as the situation around them is so hopeless.
At the same time, stern action must be taken against gangs involved in human trafficking. They are exploiting the humanitarian plight to enrich themselves.
Ramesh G Jethwani
(e-mail address supplied)
Puzzling comment
Dear Sir,
The letter “Qatar needs more HR professionals” (Gulf Times, April 26) seems a little puzzling to me. In what way Qatar is going to benefit from more human resources professionals?
Qatar needs more engineers and technological hands plus a vast pool of manual labour, not more HR experts. The engineers, technical hands and manual labour are needed for the massive infrastructure development in the state. They are also needed for the state’s vibrant energy and industry sectors. Where do the HR experts come in this?
VN
(Full name and address supplied)
