La crisi dei migranti nel Mediterraneo Centrale: le operazioni Search and Rescue non sono un fattore di attrazione

We present a synthesis of some results of our research on the migrant crisis along the Central Mediterranean Route. In the uncertain North-African geopolitical scenario, characterized by Libya’s instability, our results show that, contrary to common beliefs, the search and rescue operations (SARs) at sea are not a pull factor and do not contribute to increase the probability of dying at sea: SARs save the lives of migrants. The migrant flow originates from the structural conditions of the sending countries and is facilitated by the criminal networks, whose activity needs to be contrasted.