MIGRATION CRISIS AND THE AFRICA'S DILEMMA ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Abstract

The quest for greener pasture in foreign lands especially in Europe by Africans crossing the Mediterranean Sea is alarming. This dicey migratory movement without proper means of transport has created a lacuna and opened a Pandora box with regard to African level of unemployment especially among the youth. Recently, one of the major issues or headlines on the media is the reported problem of thousands of Africans submerging in the Mediterranean Sea off Libyan coast and near the Italian island of Lampedusa all in search for better life. The paper seeks to find the causes and impact of transmigration on African continent most especially as it affects Nigeria and West Africa. Consequently, the research which adopted communication theory to explain the nature of the problem; used secondary sources of data like text books, magazines, journals, newspapers and internet sources. In the course of this academic search of objective reality, the paper discovered that some migrants were forced to flee as a result of famine, drought, political persecution, while others wholly migrated for economic reasons. In the final analysis recommendations were given in order to ameliorate this menace that has eaten deep the fabric of social relations and is about to affect diplomatic relations of the affected countries. (The paper thus recommends that official visits should be encouraged between and among countries facing this this challenge. For example, the Nigerian Inspector General of police, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and their likes should come out with diplomatic measures to strengthen the bond of solidarity through the means of good offices and paying homage to the concern countries; this will help in enforcing restrictions on the international irregular migration system.