I’ve talked about this in the past, when the first boats were being picked up by the Italian navy, this time last year as I recall, but instead of the disastrous situation with the refugees being attended to, it has grown and grown to a level now unseen in Europe since the second world war. How could we let this happen?!?.

In this series I will be delving into why so many migrants and refugees have descended on Europe, as well as what different countries are doing and the UK national view of the problem, then finishing, as with all my work, on what I would do if the EU commission arrived at my door tomorrow and asked me to fix it. So welcome to a spotlight on the migrant crisis.

Firstly, why are so many now leaving their country and flocking to Europe? The big question that a lot of main stream media will claim they have the answer to and, according to them, is easily explained. They point to ISIS in Syria, terrorism in North Africa simple as that, But the reality is not that simple of course, it never is. Isis are a huge part of the problem, as well as the Assaf force, and are definitely the main reason so many people are leaving Syria and Iraq but this mass migration – an estimated 350,000(BBC source) in just January alone isn’t just because of them. There is the issue of connectivity and freedom to consider – why are so many young Africans, Egyptians, Syrians and the rest walking thousands of miles? It is because we are all connected via the web the rest of the world have seen how easy it is in the West and want to have that life for themselves, and who can blame them!  If I had been born in Kenya, Tunisia, Syria, etc. and I could see people who appeared richer than anyone I knew and looking happier, thanks to the ‘best pics’ effect of social media, then of course I would want to go there – to find the Garden of Eden – The fact that there are so many radical groups preying on  the African continent as well as the Middle East only reinforces that thought that was already in the minds of these young people. The world is too unbalanced, how can we expect people who can now see our every Starbucks and insta meal photo to stay in a country where life is hard, that has corrupt government, broken industry and where there seems to be no future for themselves or their children. Of course they see our wealth and want a part of it and I see nothing wrong with that at all, most of us would make that trip if brave enough.

If Syria or Ethiopia was worth fighting for then more migrants would stay, if they knew there was a future for their children and for themselves but they feel there isn’t. Syria is still a pool of blood with madmen fighting over it, Tunisia is in complete collapse as most of Northern Africa is becoming increasingly more radical and the people scared of the fighting radical Islamists as well as the countless tribal ‘generals’ and war lords that have pushed North Africa back 30 years.   The threat of violence and ever encroaching control by radical groups has an effect on people, I’m not saying it doesn’t, but I don’t think it the core of the issue. The main thought in the mind of most of these migrants regarding why they are leaving is that there is no hope for them in their country and the look enviously, understandably, at the life in Europe. So we know why they come, to build a future for themselves and their family – for freedom and opportunity – the most basic of human desire – contrary to what Fox News and Daily Mail might say about their intentions. So what can we do now that they are on the way?   This is the difficult subject that has not been properly addressed within the European community, on the political stage nor as a community – our own communal stage and I will explore that further tomorrow.  Meanwhile – do what you can to help Red Cross link    Unicef link