Hundreds of migrants drowned off the coast of Greece in June. The EU Parliament is now assuming the consequences: it passed a resolution in which, among other things, more ships and equipment are needed to rescue people.
After the recent boat accident in Greece that killed hundreds of people, the European Parliament is calling for more effective operations to rescue more refugees in distress at sea.
EU countries and European border protection agency Frontex must provide sufficient ships, equipment and personnel for a “proactive and coordinated approach” to saving human lives, according to a resolution that has already been passed.
Evaluation of cooperation with third countries
The EU Commission should examine allegations of serious violations of fundamental rights by the Libyan coast guard and, if necessary, terminate cooperation, he said. Furthermore, cooperation with countries outside the EU must depend on their fight against human traffickers and smugglers.
Safe and legal escape routes are the best way to avoid casualties at sea, MEPs said. People in third countries should also be given more information about how dangerous the sea route to Europe is.
Many migrants attempt life-threatening crossings to Europe on boats that are often unseaworthy. There are always serious accidents with boats. In mid-June, for example, hundreds of migrants wanting to cross from Libya to Italy drowned when an overcrowded fishing boat sank some 50 nautical miles off the Greek coast.
Sea rescuers file a complaint against Italian law
Meanwhile, five non-governmental organizations have filed a complaint with the EU Commission about an Italian law on sea rescue. The organizations see here a contradiction in international and EU law, as announced by the organization Oxfam Italia, among others. With the complaint, they ask the Commission to review the law.
Since March, civilian sea rescuers have had to go to a port assigned to them immediately after a rescue operation in the Italian Mediterranean and are not authorized to receive more migrants in the open sea. According to her, Italian authorities usually send rescue ships to distant ports – often in northern Italy. As a result, organizations on the coasts of southern Italy are less present.
Long voyages also increased risks to the physical and mental health of those rescued on board, as well as fuel costs for marine rescuers. In addition to Oxfam Italia, the five organizations include SOS Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, Association for Legal Studies on Immigration and Emergency.