- Off Djerba Isle
The Tunisian beaches for tourists were not far from the tragedy that happened in the middle of the night when an old trawler carrying 250 illegal immigrants was wrecked. The trawler was coming from Libya sailing close to the seashores of Tunisia heading to Italy. Only 41 persons survived!
These young Africans were coming from far away! The most difficult part was in front of them, to go to Italy with unscrupulous smugglers who exploited them and put them to great risks.
When in our countries the immigration laws are becoming more and more repressive with increased controls, why are there more and more candidates to immigration? In spite of all deterrent administrative rules and sophisticated means that are used, the immigrants are still seeping into the fortress Europe. According to surveys, 70% of the youth of North Africa are seeking to cross to the other shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The new wall that Europe tries to erect along its boundaries is not able to contain the flood of newcomers. The often-inhuman hunting of illegal immigrants is inefficient.
When young Africans are living in an extreme poverty, without job, without hope, they have only one thought: leave their country to go to Europe, the land of opportunity. - Who will be able to prevent the poor to come where the wealth is? Through the television they know how we are living. When their country is torn apart by armed conflicts, is in the grip of corruption, with no future, they want to escape from the common fate.
Many perish at sea or are refused entry. Those who have to come back to square one are not discouraged. They will seize the opportunity to start all over again.
The future is certainly not in the closing of boundaries. Between the two sides of the Mediterranean Sea, partnership is in the state of project. We will have to deal with the challenges of development and immigration. However, one day will come that the old Europe will need Africa. 
