EU Parliament to Enhance Search and Rescue Operations

In June, hundreds of migrants drowned off the coast of Greece. The EU Parliament is now taking action: it has adopted a resolution calling for more ships and equipment to rescue people in distress.

Following the latest boat tragedy in Greece, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, the European Parliament is calling for more effective rescue operations to save more refugees from the sea.

According to a resolution adopted, EU member states and the European border agency Frontex should provide sufficient ships, equipment, and personnel for a “more proactive and coordinated approach” to saving lives at sea.

Evaluation of Cooperation with Third Countries

The EU Commission must examine the allegations of serious human rights violations by the Libyan Coast Guard and, if necessary, terminate the cooperation, the resolution further stated. Additionally, cooperation with non-EU countries should depend on their efforts to combat human traffickers and smugglers.

The parliamentarians emphasized that safe and legal migration routes are the best way to prevent loss of life at sea. People in third countries should also receive more information about the dangers of the journey across the seas to Europe.

Many migrants attempt life-threatening crossings in often unseaworthy boats to reach Europe. This frequently leads to major maritime disasters. In mid-June, for example, hundreds of migrants drowned when an overcrowded fishing vessel sank about 50 nautical miles off the Greek coast. They were attempting to cross from Libya to Italy.

Search and Rescue NGOs File Complaint against Italian Law

Meanwhile, five non-governmental organizations have lodged a complaint with the EU Commission against an Italian law on search and rescue operations. The organizations argue that the law contradicts international and EU law, as stated by Oxfam Italia, among others. Through this complaint, they are calling on the Commission to review the law. Since March, civilian rescue vessels have been required to immediately head to a designated port in the Italian Mediterranean after a rescue operation and are prohibited from taking on any more migrants at sea. According to the organizations, Italian authorities often assign rescue ships to distant ports, often in northern Italy. As a result, these organizations are less present off the coast of southern Italy.

The long distances also increase the risks to the physical and mental health of rescued individuals on board, as well as the fuel costs for the search and rescue organizations. In addition to Oxfam Italia, SOS Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, the Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration and Emergency are among the five organizations involved in the complaint.