Numbers soar - 6,000 rescued in Mediterranean

THE report from the International Organisation for Migration yesterday that something around 6,000 migrants have been rescued in the central Mediterranean Sea, the stretch of water between North Africa and Italy, in the last few days, is another reminder of the scale of the humanitarian crisis facing Africa and the scale of the impact it will have in Europe. 

The organisation said that 500 refugees are believed to have drowned or been killed this year trying to make the crossing.

Last year only — if that is not the wrong word — 159 people died on the route.

The figures renew concern because the peak season — the summer months — is still some time away. This year, 16,248 migrants have arrived in Italy, up from 13,825 in the same period last year.

This is one of the issues of our time and we cannot, nor should we, ignore it.

Immigration is a challenge for host societies but it is far more so for the great majority of those who risk their lives to reach Europe.

The only choice we seem to have is how we might manage the process because the migrants, economic or otherwise, will come anyway.