There is one simple, obvious and humane solution to the migrant problem across the Mediterranean. For every migrant boat arriving in Europe or discovered en route: 

1. Remove all migrants from the boat along with the paid smuggler captains, and then permanently confiscate or sink the boat.

2. Immediately and safely transport every person back to their port of departure and drop them off. Let them know if they try again they will experience the exact same result.

This policy will immediately send the message to everybody that paying a smuggler and attempting passage is a total waste of time and money that will accomplish nothing. The smugglers will quickly go out of business and the boats will stop coming. People will stop dying on the high seas tragically. Europe will reduce the migrant crisis that it already cannot afford economically or socially. This is the humane solution.