Excerpt: "After nearly 900 people drowned in the Mediterranean on Sunday trying to reach Europe from Libya, European leaders have finally decided that the looming migration crisis should be taken seriously."
Over one thousand people march in funeral rally through Brussels to protest EU immigration policy. (photo: Friends of the Earth)
25 April 15
Citizens demand their leaders do more to help immigrants and refugees.
fter nearly 900 people drowned in the Mediterranean on Sunday trying to reach Europe from Libya, European leaders have finally decided that the looming migration crisis should be taken seriously.
In an emergency summit in Brussels Thursday, leaders finally agreed to invest more money into marine search and rescue operations – what some nations, particularly Britain and Germany, have been reluctant to do, saying it would only “encourage” more migration to the continent.
For months, however, citizens across Europe have taken to the streets and spoken out in various ways, demanding that their leaders do more for the thousands of migrants dying at sea. In 2014 alone, 3,000 people drowned in the Mediterranean trying to get to Europe, while an additional 1,600 have lost their lives since January of this year alone – a number 30 times higher than the same period last year.
Though most of the mainstream media has not picked up on these acts of civilian protest, they can be seen on social media through various hashtags like #WelcomeRefugees, #refugeecrisis, #dontletthemdrowm, #SOSEurope, #migrantlivesmatter, #jesuismigrant, #migrantcrisis, among others.
