The three roads that point to Italy: this is how smugglers bypass controls

Shipwreck off the coast Greece It may mean the involvement of several Mediterranean routes. that Orientalfrom where we start TürkiyeIs that middle, which, in turn, is divided into three more “streams”. According to the latest information, it was the latter that was directly affected by the tragedy of the boat that sank off the coast of the Red Sea. belows. In the coastal town of Peloponnese, Greek authorities are still involved in search and rescue operations for migrants.

But it is the government of Athens itself that warns of the seriousness of the tragedy. In the depths in front of Pylos, as many as 600 migrants could be missing. No. More tragic than expected. Which indicates the dynamics of one of the busiest Central Mediterranean routes in recent months, that of gently their ports of departure.

Dangerous roads in the middle of the Mediterranean

also Frontex He got a great testimonial in the last few hours to rise of the landings along the Central Mediterranean Route. The photo taken by the European Border Control Agency looks ruthless. Compared to the first five months of 2022, between January and May 2023, the increase in landings was in the order of 158%. Not only that, but according to Frontex, the Central Mediterranean route is the only route for migrants heading to the EU to grow. All others registered significant declines.

The real problem is that when we talk about the Central Mediterranean route, we refer to at least three sub-paths. Tunisian, Tripoli and Bourqia. Thus there is participation of at least three international players. On the one hand Tunisian government With its serious internal problems economically and socially. president Kais Saied waiting for answers fromInternational Monetary Fund For the release of the promised two billion dollars. Money that would allow Tunisia to survive at least. However, the arrival of the sums is conditional on the reforms that Said himself seems reluctant to implement. Hence the intense diplomatic work of Italy, realizing that leaving Tunisia in the fray would have dire consequences in terms of immigration.

Then there are the two main Libyan players. Starting with the premiere Abdul Hamid DdibaAt the head of the government stationed in Tripoli. from Tripoli The boats continued to leave, although there has been a decrease since May, and above all the local government forces began to hit the smugglers for the first time. In some cases even Bombing bases with drones.

However, the real crux of the matter related to the Pylos massacre has to do with General Khalifa Haftar. The sunken barge departed from Tobruk, from the coasts controlled by Cyrenaica’s strong man. From here until last year no one sailed. Then something changed. Dozens of fishing boats have been converted into ships that use it human traffickers To transport an average of 500 immigrants to Italy on each trip. The dimensions of the massacre off the coast of Greece prove it: if the Greek authorities speak of 600 missing, it is certainly not a coincidence, it is likely that the traffickers from Cyrenaica had no qualms about getting as many people as possible, and it would be fine. beyond the capacity of the ship.

political problem

If I had to mediate between three different players, it is certainly not easy for Italy to deal with the spikes recorded in the Central Mediterranean. This is why Roma keeps asking for supportEuropean Union. On Sunday, a first step in this direction was witnessed by Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Tunisia, accompanied by the head of the commission. Ursula von der Leyen And by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. But if the situation with Tunisia is more manageable, it is different with Libya.

There are more actors here and the Libyan chaos makes everything more unpredictable. In recent days, as mentioned, Dedibeh’s forces They targeted the bases of some traffickers in the west of the country with drones. But for his part, General Haftar has begun to push back the migrants. In recent days a boat had turned back towards him Benghaziwith alt sorted bylnaAny army led by a strong Cyrenaica man. In addition, other immigrants were pushed towards the Egyptian border.

So the Pylos massacre caught on a surprise Both Greek and Italian authorities. Indeed, it was believed that even in eastern Libya local forces were now about to begin a shift in the management of migratory flows. So something in Tobruk could have escaped Haftar’s control. Or the general had another of his unpredictable second thoughts. However you look at it, it is clear that managing migration from the central Mediterranean is by no means simple. This could lead to more deaths at sea.