More than 2,100 migrants arrived on the shores of an Italian island over the weekend. Lampedusa is about 200 miles from both Tunisia and Libya and is one of the main arrival ports for people wanting to reach Europe from North Africa. Sunday witnessed the highest single-day number of migrants arriving at an Italian port so far in 2021. News agencies and NGOs reported seeing boats carrying as many as 400 men, women, and children and several of those vessels were in distress.

Alarm Phone, an NGO that provides independent support for people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to the EU, tweeted in the early morning hours on Sunday, “There are now 5 boats in distress in Maltese SAR zone. The situations on board are critical. Although all authorities are informed, no one has intervened to carry out a rescue operation. Night has fallen: will ~419 people be left at sea? Rescue is needed now! #DontLetThemDrown.”

The tweet highlights the ongoing disagreement across the EU as to how to handle the unceasing flow of migrants from North Africa. Approximately 11,000 migrants have landed on Lampedusa since the start of the year, which is more than double for the same period last year, but still less than 2015, which is considered the height of the migrant crisis. According to the UN in 2019—the year for which we have the most recent data—26 million refugees and 45.7 million internally displaced persons live in the EU.

Pray for citizens and politicians alike to honor and protect the Imago Dei in all migrants arriving on the shores of the EU. Pray for wisdom, compassion, and perseverance in this ongoing crisis. Pray for fresh energy for the Pioneers in Europe and other Christian workers seeking to alleviate suffering in this region.