The Wire

Yet another migrant boat disaster in the Mediterranean has prompted the Italian government to call on Europe to provide greater resources for search and rescue operations. But there are huge disagreements among members of the EU as to how to deal with the crisis, with powerful nations like France and the UK, who have the far right nipping at their heels, arguing for an emphasis on deterrence, while Italian PM Matteo Renzi wants a crackdown on people smuggling. Meanwhile, human rights groups and refugee advocates argue that the push factors outweigh the pull factors, and that neither deterrence policies nor anti-smuggling measures will stem the flow of asylum seekers.