What Can We Learn from Lampedusa? The Migration from Africa to Europe in the Context of Political Erosion and Collapse of the Sub-Saharan States

The aim of the article is to discuss the reasons and results of migration from Africa to Europe. In the beginning, the migration routes of the Mediterranean Sea, with Lampedusa as a key transit point, are described. Then, the EU's immigration policy and its public criticism are analysed. In the central part of the text the aetiology of the departures of Africans in the context of the political erosion and the collapse of the African states is discussed. In addition the outline of the African diaspora in Europe and the problem of ritualisation and stereotyping of migration in Africa are given.