The rapid rise in African migrants seeking refuge in Europe featured prominently at the European Union summit meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, last week, writes Gamal Nkrumah The tragic sinking last week off the coast of Tunisia of a vessel carrying African migrants highlights the challenge faced by the European Union in relation to African immigrants. There were only three survivors, some 70 perished at sea. The dilapidated vessel was headed for Italy, in all probability Lampedusa, the tiny island near Sicily which has become the first port of call for African immigrants heading to Europe. Hundreds of thousands of African immigrants have paid exorbitant prices and risked their lives to reach European shores in the past five years. Most make their way to those European Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece, which are geographically closest to the African continent. Most immigrant trafficking gangs operate out of North African countries, because of their geographical proximity to Europe. Sprawling desert countries like Algeria and Libya, with porous borders and long, uncontrolled Mediterranean coastlines, have become favourite staging posts for the notorious trade. Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia are three other important countries which attract migrants from sub-Saharan Africa whose ultimate aim is to settle permanently in Europe. For many young Africans seeking to escape poverty, unemployment and the problems associated with the breakdown of the social security network, Europe has become the only viable option for economic salvation. Europe's working population is dwindling fast, and several European governments have become acutely aware of that problem. But, there is growing apprehension in Europe about the African immigrants. The European leaders in Thessaloniki contemplated deporting illegal immigrants to transit camps outside Europe. Italy's extreme right-wing Northern League leader Umberto Bossi, even had the audacity to suggest that the Italian navy use cannons to prevent African migrants from reaching Italian shores. Human rights groups also went so far as to say it was barbarous and callous for European officials to board the unsafe vessels overcrowded with African immigrants and force the hopefuls to return to Africa. It was within this context that the question of asylum and what the EU terms "illegal migration" topped the agenda at the European summit meeting which took place in Thessaloniki from 19 to 20 June. The European summit was as critically important to Africa as it was for Europe since decisions made in Thessaloniki are bound to have far-reaching repercussions vis-à-vis Africa and African development. The European leaders meeting in Thessaloniki pledged to "develop a common policy on illegal immigration, smuggling and the trafficking of human beings, external borders and the return of illegal residents". The EU had previously funded a report on the subject of asylum seekers and illegal immigration. "Zero immigration is not an option," warned EU Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou in the report. There is a growing realisation among policy-makers in Europe that labour migration to Europe will become increasingly necessary to fill job and skill shortages. The Europeans overwhelmingly want to control, rather than stem, the immigration flow into Europe. The continent's leaders expressed a desire to improve cross-border co-operation among European countries and security in the wake of the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington. Many in Europe also urged the protection of refugee rights. European industrialists and politicians from across the political and ideological spectrum also pressed for the full participation of migrants in European labour markets. There was a realisation that unless special laws were promulgated, "immigrants will not be able to fulfil their full potential nor make their full contribution to [European] economic development." But what about African development? There are grave concerns in Africa about the brain drain which threatens to ruin African economies. The better educated and skilled sections of the African work-force are seeking more attractive employment opportunities in Europe and North America. African doctors, nurses and midwives are leaving the continent in droves at a time when they are sorely needed back home to deal with HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other socially devastating pandemics. The public health care sector in many European countries has become increasingly dependent on health workers from the developing countries of the South, and especially from Africa. In Ghana it was recently revealed that more than 200 nurses, trained at the taxpayers' expense, left the country in the first two weeks of 2003. The mass exodus of professionals, in particular health care workers, has had a disastrous impact on the Ghanaian economy and health care sector. European countries are actively encouraging this mass exodus of skilled African workers and professionals. The public health authorities in the Dutch city of Amsterdam has recruited over 350 Ghanaian nurses over the past two years alone. In Thessaloniki, however, these concerns were overlooked, with the focus remaining on obtaining an improvement in the conditions of migrants, who are deemed essential for Europe's economic well-being. With the rise of racism in Europe, a recommendation was made for the adoption of new policies on asylum, and the issue of social integration into mainstream European society was also raised. Social integration, it was stressed, should respect the culture of the immigrants while at the same time enhancing their capacity to integrate into their adopted society. Europe, however, needs to look seriously into the reasons -- poverty, underdevelopment, armed conflict and political instability -- that forces Africans to leave their homeland for greener pastures overseas.
