African and European politicians, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) this weekend, launched a campaign in the Ghanaian capital Accra, to find solutions to the illegal flow of migrants to Europe.
According to a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), last year a total of about 27,000 immigrants reached the gateways of Europe. Thousands, however, did not make it: they perished trying to reach Europe in rickety boats.
Israel Laryea is a journalist with Joy FM radio in Accra. He explained to Nightline’s Akwei Thompson the goals of the organizers of the meeting.
“Well, this meeting is about the countries in West Africa and Libya and the European Union. “…they’re coming together to try and find ways by which they can work together to stem the tide of illegal migration.”
Laryea said illegal migration happens to be the focus of the IOM because “many times we hear these stories of people trying to cross over to Europe through the desert, trying to cross the ocean and then they get to die.”
He said not only are these deaths a loss to the countries where the migrants originate, but they also offer “bad press for Europe…”