2500 people were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea on the course of this weekend. The Italian coastguard stated that a total of 52 people went missing and 8 are confirmed dead off the Libyan coast.
Again this weekend due to the good weather conditions an increasing number of asylum-seekers aimed to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. The launched EU anti-migrant trafficking operation EUNAVFOR, which includes British officials, aims to dismantle and stop human trafficking networks in the Mediterranean area. Deployed patrol ships close to the Libyan coast aim to prevent migration towards Europe and rescue those in distress. However, UNHCR officials confirm that since the beginning of 2017 more than 1800 people died or went missing.
Controversies on the EU negotiation with its neighbouring countries about fighting human trafficking continue to be influenced by reports on human rights violations by Libyan officials. On Friday EU-trained Libyan coast guards participated in a push back action, bringing 570 people they encountered back to Libyan mainland. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International investigate cases of extensive police violence, sexual abuse and slavery and violations of the international principle of non-refoulement.
The recent events fuelled further debates about the role of NGO ships in the Mediterranean. Accusations come not only from right wing groups and parties but also from conservatives like the Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz who aims to “end the NGO insanity” in the Mediterranean. The EU border agency FRONTEX claimed that the Search and Rescue Missions done at around 40% by NGOs would act as a pull-factor attracting more migrants to Europe.
Rescue initiatives such as Sea-Watch and Jugend Rettet who saved around 1500 people this weekend argue that without their work more people would by dying. Research by the Gian-Andrea Monsch from the University of Lousanne and Charles Heller at University of London back these claims by showing that no correlation between the numbers of people making their way to Europe and the number of those who were saved could be identified.
Numbers of arrivals to Italy reached 50,000 only in Italy at the same time as British Home Secretary Amber Rudd positions a new migration target for the UK with the aim to “bring migration down to sustainable levels.” The UK opted out of the common European asylum policy aimed to resettle stranded asylum seekers from Greece and Italy. Currently only 5% or a total of 6,212 people have been moved
As part of the Refugee Week, solidarity and awareness raising events will take place all over the UK on the weekend 16-18 June as part of memorials for Jo Cox who was killed a year ago. Her husband Brendan Cox said “Refugees may come from different backgrounds and have different experiences than their British friends and neighbours, but Britain is now their home and they recognise, more than anyone, that what we have common is much greater than that which divides us.” Further information on events in your neighbourhood on: refugeeweek.org.uk