The central Mediterranean migration route : rise, fall, and rise again

Abstract

It has become common to divide the south-north migratory movements across the Mediterranean in recent years into three main routes. These being, the Western Mediterranean route, which leads from West African countries to Morocco, and from there to either mainland Spain or the Canary Islands. The Central Mediterranean route, which passes through Libya to either Italy or Malta, and which has been used by migrants from both West and East Africa. Finally, the Eastern Mediterranean route, which (in recent years) has led through Turkey and the Greek islands, and which has been used mainly by refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria, but also by migrants hailing from other countries such as Afghanistan or Iraq. Even though all three routes have existed for the last two to three decades, their (relative) importance has varied considerably over time, depending —apart from the ‘pull factor’ exercised by the EU— on conditions in the countries of origin and transit, as well as migration control efforts in the countries of destination (and transit). The aim of this article is to explore the evolution of the Central Mediterranean route, where —after Italy— Malta has been the main entry point into the EU.