Amnesty International CanadaMay 7, 2015
"As Amnesty International publicly stated recently, European governments must prioritize setting up an immediate search and rescue plan to effectively prevent the escalating death toll of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
More lasting solutions include expanding resettlement programmes for refugees from Syria and other conflict areas which would reduce the need for refugees to board smugglers' boats. Creating safe and legal channels to the European Union and elsewhere would also help address the worsening crisis in the Mediterranean.
As long as conflict, human rights violations, and poverty continue to be the daily reality for many, there will always be young Senegalese, or people from other poverty or conflict-stricken country who will risk their lives in the hope of a better future.
In the long term, only comprehensive policies that support justice, development and fair distribution of resources can keep young Africans home, where they are needed.
For Amnesty International, this means continuing to work alongside poor communities and make sure that they have the necessary tools – including access to information and justice – to demand their economic, social and cultural rights.
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