This is heartbreaking — 30 people, including children, died because Europe’s borders are managed like a deterrent instead of a duty of care. Yes, the alleged smugglers must be held to account if they knowingly put lives at risk, but reducing this tragedy to a narrow criminal story misses the bigger moral and political failure. The article shows two layers of culpability: those who profited from desperation, and the authorities whose systems and culture failed to save people calling for help. The inquiries in both countries point to systemic neglect — understaffed coastguards, a belief that people in small boats were “exaggerating” distress, and slow or absent rescue responses. That negligence deserves as much scrutiny and accountability as the trafficking networks. We need urgent policy change: properly funded, reliable search-and-rescue; independent investigations and prosecutions where negligence occurred; and safe, legal routes so people aren’t forced into life‑threatening crossings. Above all, we must stop criminalizing migrants and treating suffering as a deterrent. Remember the victims as human beings whose deaths were avoidable — justice means preventing this from happening again, not just punishing the most visible players. Solidarity with the families and survivors.
