States urged to do more to protect refugee and migrant lives at sea

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are calling on States to protect refugees and migrants in distress at sea, including through enhanced search and rescue (SAR) operations, and by ensuring that rescuers are not criminalized.

The call is prompted by mounting casualties at sea. Each year, thousands of refugees and migrants risk deadly journeys in desperate attempts to escape violence, persecution, and poverty. Many travel on overcrowded, rickety and unsafe boats with no proper safety gear, and face perilous, life-threatening conditions. With limited rescue efforts and increasing barriers, countless lives have been lost.

In a joint call to action, UNHCR, alongside the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteurs on Trafficking in Persons and on the Human Rights of Migrants, and the Foundation for Humanitarian Action at Sea, have issued an advocacy statement reminding States of international legal obligations to rescue people in distress, uphold human rights safeguards, and ensure accountability for human rights violations committed at sea.

The statement also advocates for enhanced SAR capacity through collaboration with the private and humanitarian sectors, and the establishment of regional agreements to improve coordination. States are also encouraged to establish monitoring mechanisms, investigate failures to assist, and ensure transparency in SAR operations to better safeguard those at sea.

UNHCR also hopes to renew discussions about the issue of “distress at sea” at international forums in order to drive meaningful change in practices and policies that will ultimately uphold the right to life at sea.

The full text is available in the joint statement on distress at sea.