Refugees and migrants have been regularly subjected to widespread rights violations by officials at some European borders. The EU needs to allow more legal avenues for people seeking protection to reach Europe safely.

Among those who have reached Melilla, there seems to be no consensus as to whether they see themselves as being in transit in Europe or still in Africa.

Although people are aware of the risks of the sea crossing, nothing can really prepare them for the experience.

If it is to live up to its own values, the EU needs to step up search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean and open up legal means for access to protection in Europe in order to avoid the need for risky journeys across the Mediterranean.

The policy and media gaze focuses on numbers of migrant arrivals and deaths. There are problems in the data for both categories.

Irregular migration by sea is not a solely Mediterranean phenomenon.

There are invisible drivers of migration for Afghans and Somalis to Europe, caused by decades of conflict. Although officially considered as ‘post-conflict’, the reality is very different.

Why do Eritreans risk their lives on perilous journeys to Europe? Why they don’t stay in neighbouring countries where they could get safety and protection?

Asylum seekers’ stories point to the need for effective protection for refugees and to facilitate greater opportunities to access it, both within Europe and beyond.

For Iraqi refugees in Jordan the decision to leave for Europe is very much influenced by the experience of waiting in the region.