Communication as an Instrument of Mitigation against the Human Rights Abuses Associated with Migration across the Mediterranean Sea: A Public Relations Approach

Abstract

Unprecedented and catastrophic youth migration from Africa, Middle East and Asia is causing massive deaths across the Sahara Desert  nd the Mediterranean Sea. The youths move in droves in search of  greener pastures in Europe. Most of them loss their lives as they  defy the risks involved and restrictive measures put in place by  European nations and international agencies to combat the scourge.  this is attributed to politicians and policy makers' failure in  heir responsibility of providing means of sustenance and social  security to their citizens at home. Yet, manipulative machinations  f gangs/mafias and human traffickers who have no regard for  peoples human rights and dignity are aiding the persistent  calamity that has raised more questions than answers. This paper  explores the underlying factors which facilitate the plague, the  human rights abuses associated with it and how the potentials of  communication can be effectively harnessed as means of curtailing, Qualitative and contextual analyses were adopted for accessing  literary inputs into it. The study identifies unemployment,  poverty, maladministration and human rights abuses in migrants in some countries as the major causes of the migration and the  scalation of the sufferings of the migrants due to the intrigues  f gangs, mafias and human traffickers who exploit the dire  condition of the victims. The study, consequently, recommends effective harnessing of potentials of communication strategies, immediate addressing of the socio-economic situation in the migrants' countries, concerted and political will of all concerned governments and commitment of global agencies and stakeholders in ending the scourge.