2016
Written by Allan J Begg, performed by Elvers

Written whilst on holiday in Cyprus in spring 2015 just after the UK announced that they were withdrawing naval support for an Italian-led search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean called Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea'). The reasoning was that the likelihood of rescue was deemed a "pull-factor" for refugees and migrants to set sail. The inference being that if we let enough drown they'll soon get the message and decide to stay on shore. I suppose it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Of course desperate people fleeing genocide, brutal civil wars and extreme poverty will take pretty short odds if there's a chance of reaching safety or comfort and the people taking their money to send them out to sea in leaking wrecks don't care where the passengers end up.

Shortly thereafter a boat carrying almost a thousand refugees sank whilst being... (Continues)