The Aquarius arrives in Valencia, Spain. Heino Kalis / Reuters
The Aquarius arrives in Valencia, Spain. Heino Kalis / Reuters
The Aquarius arrives in Valencia, Spain. Heino Kalis / Reuters
The Aquarius arrives in Valencia, Spain. Heino Kalis / Reuters

The Aquarius affair is a damning indictment of modern Europe


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When several hundred migrants were plucked from deflating dinghies off the coast of Libya just over a week ago, among them children and pregnant women, they might have thought the worst was over.

Instead, the 629 desperate migrants who were rescued and later hauled on board the NGO vessel Aquarius became embroiled in a diplomatic dispute that divided Europe. For the rescued migrants, rejected by both Italy and Malta before finally finding refuge in Spain and France, are the very visible faces of a much deeper problem – one that saw 150,982 migrants cross the Mediterranean last year and 2,839 die trying, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Desperate people are often driven to risk life and limb fleeing conflict while others will leave their home countries in search of economic opportunity. But many are sold a lie by unscrupulous people traffickers, who enrich themselves by cashing in on their desperation.

Some migrants have reported being sold and incarcerated by smugglers in Libya. Others have died while wearing fake lifejackets sold to them by heartless opportunists in Turkey. Those who arrive on European shores then have their hopes dashed as the reality of their situation becomes clear. As The National reported in March, thousands are languishing in squalid camps on Greek islands. Many more, like those on Aquarius, are turned away upon arrival.

The annual numbers making the perilous journey might have reduced since 2015 but the situation is as unsustainable today.

As a result migrants have been used as tools to stoke xenophobic sentiment and score political points amid a wave of populism across Europe. Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini declared his country "no longer wants to be an accomplice in the business of illegal immigration”. French President Emmanuel Macron retaliated by calling him "cynical" and "irresponsible".

As European powers wrangle, the forces that spur these tragedies – from war in Syria to people traffickers lining their own pockets – go unattended.

Indeed the fact that a modest vessel containing 629 desperate migrants sparked such a callous spectacle by Italy and Malta, divisive rhetoric and a last-ditch “political gesture” from Spain’s new prime minister Pedro Sanchez is a sad indictment of modern Europe.

The plight of these vulnerable migrants speaks to the failure of the EU to deal with the influx from Africa and the Middle East, which saw 1.2 million people apply for asylum in Europe in 2015 alone, according to IOM.

Mr Sanchez’s decision to accept the migrants flies in the face of his neighbours' heartlessness. Local authorities in Valencia receiving them were inundated with more than 2,000 offers of help and the migrants were met with multilingual "welcome home" flags.

Nonetheless, the fact the gesture was deemed an act of great benevolence illustrates a deep rot at Europe’s core. What is required is a rethink of Europe’s current approach to migration – one that allows politicians to exploit the crisis while failing to address its devastating root causes.

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The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

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What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Sri Lanka's T20I squad

Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.

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Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

Price: from Dh94,900

On sale: now

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The biog

Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren

Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies

Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan

Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India 

 

Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy

Results

Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.

Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).

Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.

Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas 

Two out of five stars 

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania ​​​​​​​
Verdict: 4 Stars