Controlling the flow of migrants trying to apply for asylum in Europe is top of the agenda for governments across the European Union despite evidence that this is plays right into the hand of traffickers. A new investigation by the BBC published just days before World Refugee Day found that Europe’s strategy of prioritizing border control over sea rescue has taken a deadly turn. Over a three-year period, the Greek coastguard has caused the deaths of dozens of migrants including some who were simply thrown directly back into the sea. Death as a deterrent for migrants seeking asylum In recent years, European governments have pursued tough immigration policies designed to deter people from coming to their countries to live. In 2022, Human Rights Watch described the EU’s migration policy as “deterrence by drowning and dehydration”. And it seems the situation has only gotten worse since then.