Three apparently unconnected news items this week together throw light on long-term global trends.
First, the early months of this year were the deadliest for six years for refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia, to the extent that the north African country’s morgues are full to overflowing and local authorities are looking to build new cemeteries to cope.
The problem stems from the increased desperation of people, principally from other parts of Africa and the Middle East, trying to escape poverty, often exacerbated by the impact of conflicts and frequently overshadowed by the growing crisis of climate breakdown. It is made worse in Tunisia by the rhetoric of the increasingly autocratic president, Kais Saied, condemning immigration for damaging Tunisia’s social coherence and changing the country’s identity.
