News of irregular immigration into the United States often focuses on those trying to cross the border via land. Huge fences and security cameras monitor the divide between the US and Mexico (less so the northern border with Canada – that is material for another blog post), while scanning machines and dogs search cars and trucks before they enter.
In recent years, as securing on land-borders tightens, there has been an increase in attempted entry using boats. In mid-January one such vessel capsized near San Diego, leading to the death of a Mexican man and a Guatemalan woman. It serves as a reminder of the dangerous passage that migrants often pursue. In 2005, nearly 100 Ecuadorans drowned when their boat sunk and they remained trapped in the hold. They were on their way to Guatemala, en route to the United States.
Migrant drownings are not only an issue in the Western Hemisphere. Each year thousands of migrants from African countries attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea, in the hope of arriving in Spain and Italy. In March of last year, more than 200 immigrants died when a boat departing Libya and bound for Italy or Malta overturned.
For some, moving to a new country is a secure process that involves a visa and a plane flight. Many others, however, risk their lives to migrate, perhaps demonstrating a degree of desperation in their current circumstances. If they do arrive safely they often connect with other family members or friends, but they can also remain undocumented in a society where they do not speak the language. They may have arrived via a rickety boat, but the struggle to stay afloat and make a new life has really just begun.