A newly released documentary, Deserted: Europe’s Deadly Migration Policy, produced by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with ARD and Deutsche Welle, sheds light on Europe’s involvement in one of the most harrowing aspects of migration across North Africa. This feature-length film stems from the Desert Dumps investigation, which uncovered a disturbing and systematic practice where thousands of Black migrants and refugees are abandoned in the desert by authorities, leading to severe consequences for the individuals involved. This practice is reportedly enabled by European Union (EU) policies and financial backing.
The documentary highlights a grave violation of human rights: migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean in hopes of reaching Europe are being detained, often without legal process, by local authorities in North Africa. These individuals are subsequently abandoned in remote desert areas, where they face dehydration, exposure, and death. The investigation reveals the EU’s role in supporting these practices through funding, technical aid, and partnerships with North African governments under the guise of migration control. The EU’s financial contributions, aimed at curbing migration flows to Europe, are indirectly facilitating this inhumane treatment.
On December 3, 2024, the documentary was screened at the European Parliament, followed by an expert panel discussion. The session examined the EU’s responsibility in enabling such abuses, discussing ways to address the humanitarian crisis and promote the safety and dignity of migrants. Lighthouse Reports, which co-organized the event, also participated in the discussion, with its director, Klaas van Dijken, offering insights into the investigation’s findings.
Klaas van Dijken will further discuss the Desert Dumps investigation during the upcoming Fortress Europe event, scheduled for January 21, 2025, in Rotterdam. This event, hosted by the organization De Dépendance, aims to critically examine the systemic forces behind European migration policies. Experts and activists will gather to discuss how such policies have led to widespread harm and propose strategies to mitigate future abuses.
This documentary and its accompanying investigation are crucial in holding the EU accountable for its role in exacerbating the suffering of vulnerable migrants. As the situation continues to worsen, discussions such as these are vital to ensure that human rights and dignity are upheld in migration policies across the globe.
As of now, the documentary Deserted: Europe’s Deadly Migration Policy by Lighthouse Reports, ARD, and Deutsche Welle has not been widely covered by external sources. However, the key points from the documentary are aligned with ongoing investigations and reports about European migration policies, such as the EU’s funding of migration control measures in North Africa. You can explore the topic in greater depth through these references:
- Lighthouse Reports – The organization behind the Desert Dumps investigation and the Deserted documentary. Their investigative work has frequently examined EU-backed migration policies, including reports on the abuse of refugees in North Africa. Lighthouse Reports
- The EU’s Involvement in Migration Policies – Numerous reports from human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International document the EU’s policies toward migrants, often criticizing its partnerships with countries like Libya and Morocco, which have been accused of human rights violations against migrants. For example:
- Amnesty International report on EU’s role in migrant detention in Libya: Amnesty International – EU Border Policies
- Human Rights Watch articles on the EU’s role in North African migration control: Human Rights Watch – Refugee Rights
- Fortress Europe – The broader concept of Fortress Europe refers to the EU’s restrictive border policies and their humanitarian consequences, often leading to the suffering and deaths of migrants at Europe’s borders. Resources such as:
- The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) regularly reports on EU migration and asylum policies: ECRE
- Deutsche Welle (DW) – The media organization that co-produced the documentary and regularly reports on EU migration policy and its implications. Check DW’s coverage of European migration issues: Deutsche Welle
These sources offer valuable context and analysis of the issues raised in the documentary. While direct references to the specific screening in the EU Parliament may not be widely available yet, the ongoing coverage of similar topics in these outlets provides insight into the broader conversation about EU migration policies and human rights abuses.
