Crimes against humanity in the context of migratory flows

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea is considered to be the deadliest route for migrants seeking to reach the shores of the European Union. However, reaching EU territory does mean that the risks to their lives and wellbeing have ended. Thousands of migrants are illtreated in refugee camps, indefinitely detained, and deprived of basic necessities such as food and health care. Thousands are pushed back to third countries by EU actors or their cooperating partners to avoid the invocation of responsibility. In such situations, migrants are likely to fall prey to human traffickers, be recruited by militias, suffer torture and other inhumane acts. It is the mistreatment of persons at their most vulnerable, on a large scale. Such mistreatment is part of border control tactics based on the sole rationale of deterring other migrants from trying to make the same hazardous journey. Thus, sending a clear signal.