Sad, but happens every single day. I was following migration issues quite a lot a couple of years and it's a very touchy issue, but I'll say this: I'm not sure if the ultimate solution is to come to Europe whne you have to have such a dangerous journey (crossing the Med is "only" the last part, before that you got all those smugglers to deal with, desert depending on the route, corrupt law forces, plus those North African countries are EXTREMELY racist from what I've heard...) and IF you survive the crossing, you'll be struggling BIG time in Europe...
What I don't understand is why not try
a. to go to another African country
b. use the money collected (I believe it's extremely expensive to do the trip, with the risk of being ripped off by any given smuggler at any time) and build something...
I met this young guy when I was in Mali, intelligent, spoke a couple of languages...and had done the journey THREE times, each time being stopped in Melilla...lost a friend of his in the desert...terrible stories of racism...I was like breh go to Sénégal or Burkina or them places...but dude was like I gotta to go to Europe, that's where it's at...I was like breh it ain't all gravy, he said I'll die trying
All that being said I'm fortunate not to have had to make that decision, so I can't really pass judgment...I know that not many people in Central African Republic try it, they're kind of like