Daily Times

Let that sink in 49 migrants, mostly women and children lost battle for their lives against the brutal waves of the Red Sea as they attempted to leave their war-ravaged countries for safer pastures. Speculations are rife about the death toll creeping even higher as another 140 from a boat of 200 are still missing.

Yemen was supposed to be a transit for many who had escaped the Horn of Africa for a chance to lead better lives in oil-rich Gulf countries. Little did they know that they would, instead, become newspaper tickers for one cycle before the collective conscience moved on to other pressing issues. That it was only two months ago that two separate boats similarly capsized, leading to at least 62 deaths adds credence to ghastly albeit unbelievable UN claims about recording nearly 2000 deaths and disappearances on this migration route in the last decade.

Why is it that accident after accident, death spree after death spree, fail to achieve anything other than hardening the international community towards the plight of millions? Is it so hard to understand that all these individuals want is a better life, fleeing conflict, poverty, and persecution in their home countries?

Instead of finding hope and refuge, they tend to find themselves facing death in the unforgiving waters. If they manage to escape that, loaded barrels of border guards are waiting for them on the other side of the journey. The lack of safe and legal migration routes forces these migrants to embark on perilous journeys, often putting their lives at risk. It is a direct consequence of strict immigration policies that prioritize border security over human lives. We cannot turn a blind eye to these senseless deaths and must hold our governments accountable for their actions.

Immigration has been a hotly debated topic for years, with opinions ranging from extreme support to vehement opposition. However, the constant rise in self-perpetuating bouts of violence in host countries now sheds light on a darker side of this debate – the resurging wave of anti-immigration sentiments that is sweeping across the globe. This xenophobia can be attributed to a combination of factors, including economic uncertainty, cultural fears and misinformation. Instead of collaborating for a crackdown on those elements that exploit the sufferings of these individuals and capitalise on their dreams, the world, at large, is mired in a senseless debate of who looks like whome and which skin colour should be allowed a fresh start. *