Solution to Lampedusa Tragedy - Essay Example

Problem-Solving Essay Introduction Problems are, and have always been part of humans since their existence. In actual sense, everything that exists in the world today was originally a problem which had a solution to it discovered. What this means is, for instance; we wear clothes because man once had a problem of exposure to excess cold and heat, or that we have planes because travelling to distant places took too long. In the modern world. We have an emerging issue that needs addressing; that is the displacement of people from their original dwelling places. War, civil unrest, famine, drought and disease outbreaks are forcing people to flee to other places. The problem with this is that wherever they flee to is not guaranteed that they will be welcomed or continue with life as usual. The above situation is particularly evident in Lampedusa, an Italian island very popular with refugees who flock in from Tunisia, Libya, and Syria pushed out of their countires by raging wars and unrest. The small island which measures roughly a square mile in size has a holding capacioty of six thousand people but with the daily influx of refugees, it currently hosts about ten thousand refugees. The situation has contributed to straining of the islnad’s resources, the living conditions are below the acceptable levels, the refugees are conflicting with the authorities, and worst of all, the refugees are turning against each other as they struggle to survive. This calls for an immediate resolution to end the crisis before it gets out of hand. Of all the suggestions offered, none seems as effective as finding a means of cutting down on the numbers of refugees as this will reduce the conflicts with authorities, and calm the looming civil crisis and violence in Lampedusa. Lampedusa as a refugee base Lampedusa is an eight square mile Italian Island is knownto the world not because of its small size, but because of its dense refuge immigrant’s numbers and the many disasters that recur in the region. Owing to its placement, halfway into Africa and Europe, in addition to the welcoming Italian immigration laws, it acts as an escape route for people fleeing from inhumane conditions at home. Currently, it hosts refugees from mainly Syria, Eritrea, Egypt and Liberia. This description is contradicting about what many of them except in Europe, where they rush to go and find aid, away from civil wars and violence, but it seems that this is not the case. A new problem has developed recently, according to Davies (n.p.). The seafront, which also doubles up as the only available space for the ever-landing refugees, is now overcrowded, having a capacity of only 300, a number that can be achieved in 3 days as more immigrants arrive in their hundreds daily. Again, the refugees who have been there longer are made angry by the new arrivals who they claim to want to come and immediately have access to the already-establishedareas with insufficient support networks. This in itself is a major threat to the refugees themselves, considering that they originate from different cultures, and conflict may plunge them into yet another war- civil war. The second critical looming disaster is that upon their discovery that the Italian systems ignore them, they have taken to demonstrations, protests, and engaging the local police in battles as they strive to be heard and saved from the harsh living. These have attracted global reactions, with most sympathizers offering potential solutions to the problem as the next section will highlight. Potential solutions to the problem The first suggestion, as offered by Susan (n.p.) is that refugees should be welcomed hospitably and have a comfortable reception when they land, contrary to the harshness that welcomes them when they land on the shores. This is triggered by the harsh immigration policies that Italy [Europe] has set, which in addition to ignoring them plights, has set up measures to keep them from penetrating into the better-off Italy. This is what has been contributing to the rise in number, thus overcrowding at the port region, and is also directly responsible for the looming civil conflicts and current rise of violence. Susan adds that it is the duty of the UNHCR to come in and enforce the humanitarian laws of Italy so the refugees can have a better reception, better and necessary retention, better treatment, and effect of better refugee laws. For instance, recognized refuges can be allowed to move to better mainland, away from the perilous seas. The second potential solution to the problem is to refrain from allowing more refugees into Lampedusa, considering the fact that the base is already overcrowded and experiencing pressure due to insufficient support resources and mechanisms. As earlier revealed, the immigrants pour into Italy in their hundreds daily, translating to a potential, furthering of the problem due to increase in their numbers. It may be that providing better reception and policies will reduce the problem but with constant numbers moving in, the Italians will get to a point where they can no longer provide the required services, and that will mean more problems. Restraining more immigrants does not mean being inhumane or inconsiderate, but it is in the long run for the good of the victims. They can be diverted to other states to help, rather than burn out Italy, which is already doing its best, and render it completely unable to support the existing few (Corcoran n.p.). The third solution is, according to Molinario (n.p.), improving the reception and living standards at the Lampedusa base even as Italy looks into finding means of diverting the huge inflow of the desperate humans. Key to the issue is the restoration of Lampedusa to its initial reception capacity of 850 that was reduced to 250 following an inferno 2011. The inability to hold the large numbers sees most of the arrivals live in the harsh open environment, taking in every bit of the environment. A key ingredient in simplifying their survival is to enhance the rate at which the asylum-seekers are vetted for recognition and granted access to areas that have achieved the European Union’s recommended living conditions. From Molinario’s perspective, one can see the reason for the increasing violence against the Italian authorities as obviously forceful attempts of gaining access to better places. In addition to the violence, the refugees are likely to fight among themselves as they look into sustaining their lives on the little support services available. This is already happening as they have split themselves into two rival groups of “earlier arrivals” and “new arrivals”. In a nutshell, if there was enough space and supplies for everyone at the reception center, no one would try and gain forceful entry anywhere, or fight their allies over food or shelter. The final potential solution to the strain on the small island and preventing the looming civil unrest would be fast-tracking the removal of refugees from the overpopulated island and diverting then to safer places around the globe. This is not a measure which Italy can execute on its own but it requires international mediation by able states and humanitarian bodies such as the EU and UN. As such, the refugees should be interdicted before they land on the island and taken to safer places, same as those who are already struggling to survive on the island. In short, the only way to solve the issue is to take out the pressure on the small island and prevent further accumulation of more refugees. Evaluating the best solution The first solution suggests that immigrants should be welcomed in more hospitable ways, and not “harshly” as is today. This solution, while presenting an application perspective does not consider that creating hospitable conditions would mean digging deeper into the financial bank of Italy, a status that may not eventually work if more refugees keep flocking in. On the issue of being strict, otherwise perceived as “harsh”, it should be understood that every state has its own policies that safeguard its citizens, and vetting new arrivals is critical in securing its well-being. As such, this cannot be the best solution to the crisis. The second proposed solution, that is restricting any more refugees from entering Lampedusa, is quite weak, considering the UNHCR’s policies that require its member states to allow refugees who have due reason to flee their homes. Even if this was not the case, it would be overly mean to watch as death and suffering catches up with a fellow human as we watch when we can provide them with at least a chance to last one more day. It is not an overly bad suggestion if it meant to suggest that the traffic should be regulated or diverted elsewhere, since in the contemporary world, fleeing is part of survival and is quite unavoidable. From the evaluation, this cannot present a solution to the immigration problem at Lampedusa. The third suggestion as is given by Molinario proposes that conditions for living at Lampedusa should be improved to harbor the refugees already residing there. This is averagely effective in that availability of shelter, food and other favorable living conditions would solve the problem with Italian authorities and internal conflicts. However, it leaves out the fact that more immigrants are likely to be attracted by this, and the result would be the inability of Italy to satisfy them all, translating to a recurrence of the problem. Due to that understanding that solution too, does not qualify as the best in resolving the crisis. The best solution, as the evaluations depict, would be reducing the overpopulation problem on the island and share the burden of refugees amongst the able world states. This is to say that the island should be left with only the quantity it can comfortably support. The excess numbers can be immigrated to other countries which can support more numbers. This will end the conflicts between the refugees and authorities, and between the refugees and fellow refugees. After that, any other refugees who lee their countries should be taken care of by being taken to countries which can comfortably accommodate them before permanent solutions to their problems can be found. Conclusion In summing up, one can justify that problems indeed, are an unavoidable aspect of human life, of which conflicts are an example of human problems as the Lampedusa crisis shows. And problems require solutions. Wherein several suggestions such as being more hospitable to refugees, restricting more of them from landing into Lampedusa and improving their living conditions have been offered, none seems as effective as sharing the refugee problem between able global states. In short, the pressure on the existing island’s resources should be lessened to levels it can support, and should not be allowed to pile up again. If Lampedusa is left with numbers it can comfortably support, then there will be no protests in search of attention nor inter-refugee conflicts as they fight for survival means. Works Cited Corcoran, Ann. German conservatives: solution to Lampedusa tragedy is not to accept more migrants”.Refugee Resettlement Watch, 2013. Web. 14 March 2014. Davies, L. “Why Lampedusa remains an island of hope for migrants”, The Guardian, 2013. Web. 14 March 2014. Meret, Susan. “Between Exit and voice: Refugees’ stories from Lampedusa to Hamburg”. Open Democracy, 2014. Web. 14 March 2014. Molinario, Barbara. “UNHCR urges Italy to improve facilities on Lampedusa as boat tragedy death toll rises”. UNHCR, 2013. Web. 14 March 2014. Read More