Why Do You Even Drink?

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Libyan coast guard intercepts nearly 300 migrants east of Tripoli

 

Migrants arrive at a naval base after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard, in Tripoli, Libya October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

 

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's coastguard intercepted 299 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries on two rubber boats east of Tripoli on Thursday, officials said.

 

The migrants were intercepted near the town of Zliten by one of several coastguard vessels that Italy repaired and delivered to Libya earlier this year.

 

Libya's western shoreline is the main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe by boat, many of them fleeing conflict or poverty.

 

Crossings have dropped sharply since July, when an armed group in the smuggling hub of Sabratha began blocking departures.

 

Under pressure from Italy and other European states, Libya's coastguard has also become increasingly active, patrolling more widely and intercepting migrants before they can reach international rescue vessels.

 

As of Oct. 24, more than 18,800 migrants had been intercepted so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). More than 111,000 had crossed to Italy, the vast majority from Libya.

 

The group picked up on Tuesday was brought back to Tripoli port and was being transferred to a detention centre in Tajoura, a suburb of the capital. It included about 15 children and 25 women, said coastguard official Ali al-Shebrak.

 

A reporter saw one newborn child crying from hunger as his mother, barely able to walk, was given medical treatment from an ambulance.

 

(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-01

[taipan1949]

I thank God I lived in relative quiet in Thailand for 30 years and watched a country do what a country should do regarding immigration. Thailand has plenty of its own poor and hungry and although we don't see how they live day to day at least we can see, with satisfaction, the Thai Navy tow soon to be illegal immigrants away from its shores. I can't list the countries that I think are idiots in overtaxing their own civilians to take in these people who will NEVER be anything but a drain on the host country. Now that I am living in the Philippines I don't see any mass rush of immigration for people to get here mainly because we are are out of the proper currents to get them here and the Philippines has a vast poverty and hungry  people problem to take care of.

[Bullie]

In spite of all these efforts Italy will still be flooded by people from Africa for the forseeable future, at least as long as it remains profitable for smugglers, and an ineffective Libyan government.

Problem is, of course, that only about 3 % of the migrants is eligible to stay, the remaining 97 % will, eventually, be pushed back across the Medditerranean. Already they are bottled up in Italy with nowhere to go - borders further north are quite thoroughly patrolled, and the ones that do make it to the promised lands in NW Europe after further paying people smugglers will find their applications for asylum turned down in most cases, all be it usually after years of endless appeals. As we speak further measures are being taken to demotivate people to even try to come to the Netherlands, for example. The first few years you will NOT receive benefits, you will no longer automatically be entitled to a house after 3 months and, most importantly: they are now, finally going to limit the number of times for appeal. So you spend a few years of your life in a compound where you are being fed, and after 2/3 years you are kindly requested to leave the country of your own accord - you are no longe entitled to anything and are supposed to make your way home the best you can.

 

It would be more humane to just let the buggers drown.

 

Better yet: make it quite clear to under NO circumstances can you apply for asylum if you enter Europe illegally. This could be decided tomorrow in the European council, and spread within a week worldwide via facebook and twitter.

Only applications through proper channels abroad will be considered. Australia has shown us the way, it is up to the Europeans to finally do the humane thing, and no longer give hope where none can be given.