NYT: For African Migrants, Europe Becomes Further Away

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For African Migrants, Europe Becomes Further Away

The deadly flow of flimsy boats crammed with migrants heading north across the Mediterranean has slowed substantially this summer. After years of surging arrivals, Italy and Spain, the initial destinations for thousands fleeing Africa for safety or jobs in Europe, are reporting drops of a third or more compared with last year.

Now, after years of angst, it appears European efforts to stem the flow — and the resulting deaths — might be working, at least temporarily. The numbers are incomplete, but as of the end of July, Fortress Europe reported the number of arrivals to Italy at 5,200 people, compared with 9,389 in the same period in 2006, a drop of 45 percent.