Monitoring migration in the Central Mediterranean : a matter of border controlling or rescuing lives?

Abstract

Over the past decades, the number of migrants trying to reach Europe have increased dramatically. With the establishment of European Union and a policy of strengthening border surveillance, paths taken by migrants have changed. The dangerous journey through the Mediterranean Sea became an opportunity for many people to arrive in Italy and culminates in the deadliest migration route in the world. Considering the protection of irregular migrants and the challenge of monitoring Italian frontiers, the author hopes to contribute to the debate on whereas this migration dilemma has being dealt as a humanitarian crisis or as purely matter of border control. Through a comparative study, it will be analyzed the current policies, the actors involved and the legal framework applied both to a Border-Control and to operations of Search and Rescue on the National, EU and International levels. By the end, the necessity of more interaction between these elements will be evaluated and further discussions on their alignment with human rights ideas will be carried. Recommendations will be also proposed in order to introduce more thoughts on this yet, unsolved issue. Key words: irregular migration; Central Mediterranean route; border control; rescue operations in the sea; human rights principles; balanced approach.