While there are several factors for this never-ending tragedy, war and the disruptions brought about by it are among the main reasons behind the decision to cross the Mediterranean sea. European governments are asked to prioritize border control but not to forget maritime rescue and to take unanimous actions, as it is a key objective to effectively solve the issue and its repercussions.
Recently, the European Union has abdicated its responsibilities to ensure Mediterranean search and rescue: there are no EU boats actively patrolling where most migrants’ ships are in difficulty and the Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard, uses aircraft surveillance for interceptions and returns rather than rescues.
Despite extensive evidence of imprisonment and torture of migrants in their home country, illegal pushbacks to warzones and daily failures to respond to rescue requests in huge search and rescue regions, the situation does not seem to change. The need to rescue people at sea remains deeply ingrained in the seafarer ethos, it is an obligation under maritime law, but nowadays the when and where rescued persons can be disembarked remains uncertain; moreover the potential costs of deviations and delays constitute disincentives for merchant vessels to perform their duties.
To read more, visit:
- https://www.euronews.com/tag/mediterranean-sea
- https://missingmigrants.iom.int/region/mediterranean
- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/694413/IPOL_STU(2021)694413_EN.pdf
by Viola Rubeca
