A stranded boat filled with people is seen from the helicopter of a Search and Rescue team of Mare Nostrum. ; With Summer at its peak and the waves at their calmest, Italy's Mare Nostrum Rescue at Sea operation has been inundated with arrivals of asylum seekers, mostly journeying from the coast of Libya. At least 5000 were rescued at sea over the course of just 48 hours between June 28 - 29, 2014. Given the large number of arrivals, all within hours, the Military Ship San Giorgio that normally acts as a collecting vessel for those already rescued, had to conduct direct rescues itself. Photographer Alfredo D'Amato was on board and captured the rescue process from identification of boats by the Italian Air Force to the rescue of the four boatfuls of people and disembarkation at Taranto in Puglia. With a total of 1171 from four different rescued boats, the group comprised 820 men, 148 women and 174 accompanied and 29 unaccompanied minors. Over fifty percent of those rescued were Syrians, mostly families and large groups. The total number of families were 100, including some from Eritrea and Sudan. Pakistan (100 men), Bangladesh (70 men and 2 UASM), Gambia, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Tunisia were the other nationalities that arrived. Three men from Libya, who were amongst those saved, were arrested under charges of trafficking/smuggling. Given the sharp increase in arrivals ver 2014, Italy has repeatedly asked for help from the EU and sharing the burden of the operation that costs Euros 8 Million per month. Since the operation started in October 2014, 73,686 people have been rescued while in distress at sea. Considered EU's largest such mission to date, Italy's decision to launch Mare Nostrum was a direct response to the more than 350 lives lost during twin shipwrecks off the coast of Lampedusa in October 2013.
Today’s discussions in Paris with European States on addressing the situation on the Mediterranean Sea, and preventing loss of life in Libya, are welcome and much-needed. The violence in Tripoli in recent weeks has made the situation more desperate than ever, and the need for action critical.
We welcome the consensus at today’s meeting on a need to end the arbitrary detention of refugees and migrants in Libya. There needs to be a process of orderly release of people in detention centres either to urban areas, or to open centres that allow reasonable freedom of movement, shelter, assistance and protection from harm, plus independent monitoring and regular unhindered access for humanitarian agencies. In light of the risks of abuse, maltreatment or death, no one should be returned to detention centres in Libya after being intercepted or rescued at sea.
The renewed commitment today from States to preventing loss of life on the Mediterranean Sea is also encouraging. The status quo, where search and rescue operations are often left to NGO or commercial vessels, cannot continue. An EU State search and rescue operation, similar to programmes we have seen in recent years, is needed.
The crucial role played by NGOs must be acknowledged. They should not be criminalised nor stigmatised for saving lives at sea. Commercial vessels, who are increasingly being relied upon to conduct rescue operations, must not be requested to transfer rescued people to the Libyan Coast Guard, nor directed to disembark them in Libya, which is not a port of safety.
Discussions on establishing a temporary, predictable arrangement for disembarking people after they have been rescued at sea, and sharing responsibility amongst States for hosting them afterwards, were promising. We encourage these talks to progress further. A joined-up approach to this situation is in everyone’s interests.
In the meantime, evacuations and resettlement out of Libya continue to be a vital lifeline for people facing an immediate threat to their lives. We continue to urge States to work with us to get the most vulnerable refugees in Libya out of danger, and we welcome the expressions of support in this regard that have been heard today.
Lastly, greater efforts are needed to address why people leave their homes in the first place. While multiple conflicts in North and Sub-Saharan Africa continue unresolved, and development challenges persist, some will continue to seek alternatives for themselves and their families.
Brokering a lasting peace in Libya must be the overriding priority. The international community should use any leverage it has to bring the warring parties together in dialogue, and establish a political solution that restores stability and security.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
