What's happening?

Tomorrow is World RefugeePeople who are forced from their countries because war or persecution. Day. In Berlin, people will read aloud the names of 51,000 people who have died trying to reach EuropeThe second-smallest of the world's continents. It has a population of 746 million. since 1993.

Last Wednesday that list grew longer. A boat trying to reach Europe sank off the Greek coast. Hundreds have drowned.

Migrants pay people smugglersSomeone who arranges for people to be illegally transported between countries. to help them leave behind war and povertyThe state of being very poor. in Africa and Asia and reach Europe by boat. But this is not the first time a ship has sunk.

People who have travelled in these boats say they are overcrowded. The smugglers sell as many tickets as possible to make more money, even when the boat is very small.

Nine people have been arrested after the ship sank. European leaders say they want to stop the criminal groups who sell places on the boats. Leaders say they are fully to blame for the deaths.

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But some say migrants have no other option if they want to reach Europe. Critics say Europe needs to allow more people to move to Europe legallyAllowed by law. . If they did, some groups say, fewer people would try to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean SeaA sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean. It has the shores of Europe on one and the shores of north Africa on the other, as well as shoreline in Asia. .

Today, Europe has 1,800km of walls and fences.

The Mediterranean is not the main entry point for migrants to the European UnionA political and economic union of 27 countries.. Last year, 4.8 million Ukrainians legally entered the EU after RussiaThe largest country in the world by area. It has a population of 144 million people. invaded UkraineA country in Eastern Europe. It was invaded by Russia in February 2022. .

Critics say European countries are treating people from Africa and Asia differently to people from Ukraine.

Yes! Much of Europe is safe and wealthy. It should do more to help people who are trying to have a better life. If there were more legal ways to enter Europe, fewer people would die at sea.

No! It is the people who make migrants pay huge amounts of money to board tiny boats who are to blame. They do not care what happens to the people on board. They only care about money.