Europe 'Shocked' as Migrants Keep Drowning in Boats
Seventeen dead, and likely more, after a migrant boat capsized near Crete. The Independent frames this as another tragic natural disaster (because boats just 'capsize' on their own). It’s not a natural disaster. It's a direct consequence of EU policy, which prioritizes border militarization and deals with authoritarian regimes in exchange for 'containing' migrants, effectively forcing desperate
people onto increasingly dangerous sea routes. While Europe wrings its hands, or more accurately, beefs up Frontex funding to the tune of 5.6 billion euros from 2021-2027 (Council of the European Union, 'Frontex: strengthening control of the EU's external borders,' 2023), the very conditions driving migration—conflict, economic destabilization, climate change—are often exacerbated by the same
Western powers. How many more must drown before the 'tragedy' becomes a policy failure?