Policies please

THE death of 14 people, when they were hit by a night-time express train as they walked along a remote river gorge in Macedonia, is another reminder of what may be one of the pressing issues of the age — migration.

The victims were part of a group from Afghanistan and Somalia and were walking north of the central Macedonian town of Veles when a passenger train struck them.

Conflict, poverty, religious fanaticism and dysfunctional states are factors driving the almost endless stream of migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya. Hundreds have already drowned this year. Similar forces are at play as hundreds of thousands try to cross America’s southern borders each year. Their tragedy has polarised opinion in Europe. Some oppose accepting any migrants, others suggest tackling the cause of migration and others believe the West cannot close its doors to the impoverished masses.