Illegal Migration and Media Position

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present work looks at a crucial international issue that has dominated the world’s scene for a long time, the Illegal Migration. It comprises two chapters, the first part examines the different hidden and explicit causes of illegal migration, its consequences and what efforts have been made at different local, national and international levels starting from the departure countries in Africa, through transit countries then, towards the host European ones. It provides some maps and figures that illustrate major migration routes, statistics on people smuggling and numbers about the causes of illegal displacement. The Second chapter discusses the role of the European and African media in covering the crisis. It highlights the various positions of European countries and how media shaped the official European opinions towards this issue. Media plays a significant role in shaping public perception, informing public discourse, and influencing policy debates on migration. However, the way media covers the issue can either contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of migration or perpetuate stereotypes and misinformation. Undeniably, the most striking thing is how the Western media have dealt with this problem. The objective of the study was to shed lights on the superficial efforts that were taken by many African and International actors, which have not been fruitful. We also wanted to cover the duplicity of media in dealing with the African illegal migration and how it covered refugees coming from Ukraine as an example. Throughout our research, we tried to describe our findings thoroughly and compare between the views and the news and deduce sad realities ,which were shaping the political sphere and public opinions. Timothy G. Hammond, Samuel Cogolati, Nele Verlinden and Pierre Schmitt are some researchers within a long list of those who have studied the illegal migration phenomenon from many sides and under different perspectives and objectives.