How is it possible that thousands of people drown every year in the Mediterranean Sea, while the pro-tection of individual life is a core value in Europe’s self-perception? How do European immigration poli-cies and practises impact on Africa? What are the reasons why young people from coastal Senegal decide to leave their home? Why is it that so many Colombians are migrants to the Canary Islands, what should be done to help them in their situation? What are the specific political conditions under which refugees and undocumented migrants have to live in Germany, and what do they do to oppose their manifold discrimination?
Migration into Europe is a multifaceted issue with a deep impact on European and African societies, as well as cutting across virtually all social fields, from the labour market to health issues to questions of national or European identity. Yet equally varied are the responses by the people directly affected.
Adrian Paci, Centro di Permanenza Temporanea (2007) Video still, courtesy francesca kaufmann, Milan
