Karl Stennienibarra
African migrants coming to Europe are taking advantage of an elaborate death avoidance scheme, an investigation by the Maltese government has revealed.
According to the findings of the investigation, the personal death avoidance scheme allows migrants – such as those currently on board the rescue vessel Alan Kurdi – to exploit geographical loopholes and transfer their persons from countries such as Congo, Eritrea and Somalia to countries in Europe where they can enjoy a lower rate of violent death.
After undertaking long, perilous journeys from their homeland, the migrants arrive in Libya, where they use intermediaries known as ‘human traffickers’ to transfer themselves to offshore havens using seafaring vehicles known as ‘boats’.
This is the riskiest part of the transfer, but if successful, migrants are able to profit from not dying.
“It’s shocking that this should be allowed to happen,” said researcher Mark Attard, who led the investigation.
“Technically, wanting to prevent yourself from dying due to terrorism, torture, famine, forced conscription or slavery is perfectly legal.
“But the people who are already in Europe worked hard to be born in a place that isn’t currently a war zone, or a country slowly being turned to dust by climate change, so it’s a really unethical thing to do. People should die in the country they were born in.
“And some of these migrants aren’t even necessarily fleeing death. They just want a better life. Frankly, it makes me sick,” Mr Attard said.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was similarly outraged.
“If I found out that a member of my cabinet had used a death avoidance scheme, I’d fire them on the spot,” he said.
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