SAN’A, Yemen (AP) - A boat loaded with Somali and Ethiopian migrants capsized in the Gulf of Aden during a treacherous night crossing in which at least 112 people died, a Yemeni official said Friday.

The boat was among a group of four vessels carrying migrants from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, a U.N. official and a Yemeni human rights activist said. More than 280 were aboard the boats. Thousands of Somalis and Ethiopians try to escape to the Arabian peninsula each year, many hoping to eventually reach Europe.

Source: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070217/D8NB7AHG0.html

Needless to say this is a terrible disaster, as is any accident resulting in the loss of multiple human lives, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of the unfortunate victims, but at the same time, some real issues come to mind.

First of all, why are these people being ‘allowed’ to (well, why is more not being done to stop them from) sneak into the Middle East and then move on to Europe? I’m not familiar with the security measures in the region, but it seems to me that there should be better border controls to prevent random people from getting in. And specifically with refugees, it seems that there should be some sort of program so that these people don’t have to sneak out of the country via smugglers as it is.

More importantly, why is the United Nations not doing more to stop or reduce the violence in Somalia that these people find themselves fleeing? It seems to me that most of the problems could be solved with some simple international intervention, even if the United States was to take no part.

Finally, I want to know what is going to happen to the smugglers if they are ever caught. Personally, I’d love to see them tried for murder, and given the region in which they would likely be charged, I’m hoping that they get the death penalty. Yes, this is an extreme case, but I support very strong penalties for human smugglers in all cases. I don’t care what the circumstances are, but there is simply no justification for breaking immigration laws and putting human lives at such risk simply to make money. I find it reprehensible on multiple levels.

I guess the point is that things like this should never have to happen, should never be allowed to happen, and should be prevented whenever possible. The same goes for refugees from countries such as Cuba and Mexico trying to flee to the United States.