LA Times: Sharing refugees -- a 'good idea' that's gone nowhere

As a teen fleeing a forced marriage in Mali, Ali Konate hopscotched between countries before taking his chances on a boat leaving Libya. He spent two nights at sea, fearful of being tossed into the water -- all the more terrifying because he can’t swim.
He had never even heard of Malta before he ended up on its shores.
“I just wanted anywhere I could live my life in a safe way,” Konate said.
Konate is one of more than 16,000 people who have boarded boats and landed on Malta over the last decade, often by accident. The tiny Mediterranean nation is a refugee destination out of happenstance, as people fleeing North Africa aim their boats at the European continent and land on Malta instead. To Continue