Sally Hayden: A 'naval blockade' won't solve the crisis in the Mediterranean

<p>To understand the unfolding crisis on the Italian island of <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/02/03/eight-migrants-found-dead-by-italian-coast-guard-off-lampedusa-coast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lampedusa</a>, where a state of emergency has been declared as 7,000 <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/migrant-crisis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">migrants</a> arrived on boats within just 48 hours, it’s crucial to look across the short stretch of the Mediterranean to Tunisia. </p><br><p>Sally Hayden, who has been reporting on the migrant crisis and the EU’s response to it, explains in this podcast why there has been a surge of people arriving on Lampedusa; why she believes <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/italy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Italian</a> prime minister <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/giorgia-meloni" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Giorgia Meloni</a>’s proposed “naval blockade” will not work; the controversial €105 million deal between the EU and Tunisian president <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kais-saied/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kaïs Saïed</a>, who has encouraged violence against black people in the country; and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s visit last week to the Italian island. </p><br><p>Hayden also tells In the News the story of <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2023/09/17/we-want-to-live-with-dignity-like-every-human-being/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saad Eddin Ismail</a> who she met in Tunisia and who left his home in Darfur, <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sudan</a>, six years ago, on a long quest to find safety.</p><br><p>Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/