At least 27 migrants, including children, trying to reach Great Britain by boat from France were drowned recently in the English Channel when their boat capsized. Four smugglers who are suspected in the attempted crossing have been arrested.
The migrant families came only a few days after British and French authorities reached an agreement to try to stem the number of people taking to the sea. Both countries struggle to handle large numbers of migrants into their countries.
Thousands of people this year have attempted to cross from France to Britain after French authorities closed unauthorized refugee camps in France. Authorities also have cracked down on smugglers attempting to bring in asylum seekers inside trucks crossing through the Channel Tunnel.
Many migrants from countries in Africa and the Middle East prefer Britain as an ideal destination because of its English language, fellow citizens already there, or because the job market is more favorable to them.
On the other side of Europe, multitudes of refugees flowing through the country of Belarus have been blocked by barricades placed by Poland between Poland and Belarus. The European Union has accused Alexander Lukashenko (leader of Belarus since1994) of an organized campaign to use migrants as a weapon. He appears to have encouraged migrants from crisis regions including Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq to fly to Belarus on tourist visas, then cross over into European countries. The migrants thus act as a threat against the countries who have criticized his rule.
Meanwhile, Mexico and the United States are the destination of refugees from Haiti and Central America, fleeing corruption and poverty, sometimes massing at border crossings. For years, American immigration policies have lacked responsible, humane goals and implementation.
Immigration done properly is a boon to developed nations. Immigrants are generally younger than the populations of receiving countries. They often revive economies with younger people and new workers. Massive flows, however, can be dangerous for the refugees and can strain the resources of countries they overflow.
Receiving democracies need co-ordinated immigration policies. Just as important are joint efforts to encourage more humane governments in sending countries to avoid massive outflows of their citizens.