Pressmeddelande -
UNHCR Chief expresses shock at new Mediterranean boat tragedy
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, on Saturday, expressed
shock that yet another boat tragedy took place in the Mediterranean.
Mr.
Guterres commended the joint action taken by the Maltese coast guard to rescue
147 people and the Italian navy, which rescued 56. But according to survivors,
there were as many as 400 Syrians and Palestinians on the boat, many now missing
and feared drowned. The rescue took place 60 miles south east of Lampedusa, in
Maltese waters.
"This is the third boat tragedy in the Mediterranean in
just two weeks," Mr. Guterres said. "It is shameful to witness hundreds of
unwitting migrants and refugees drowning on Europe's borders."
Mr.
Guterres expressed particular worry that Syrians, who are fleeing a frightening
conflict, are resorting to this dangerous route and drowning as they were
seeking a safe haven in Europe. "There is something fundamentally inhumane in a
world where which Syrians are forced to risk their lives in the hands of
ruthless smugglers in attempt to reach safety in Europe. They escaped bullets
and bombs only to perish before they could ever claim asylum," he
said.
Mr. Guterres was also gravely concerned to learn of testimonies by
survivors that they were shot at by a vessel shortly after departing Zwara,
Libya, wounding three passengers. He expressed his hope that this incident can
be clarified and those responsible brought to justice.
Two other boats,
one with 183 passengers and the other with 83, were rescued last night off
Lampedusa. 785 people are being hosted on the island, including the 156
survivors of the 3 October shipwreck. So far, 359 bodies have been recovered
from the wreck.
UNHCR is calling for a number of urgent measures to
prevent further tragedies and increase burden sharing:
1. A strengthened
search and rescue capacity for rescue at sea in the Mediterranean to identify
boats in distress, in particular those carrying refugees and
migrants.
2. Shipmasters undertaking search and rescue operations should
not be accused of facilitating the smuggling of the persons rescued or
confronted with criminal charges.
3. The establishment of effective and
predictable mechanisms for identifying places of safety for the disembarkation
of rescued refugees and migrants.
4. The enhancement of reception
facilities in Malta and Lampedusa and the establishment of additional facilities
with access to assistance and care.
5. The establishment of profiling
and referral mechanisms, including access to fair and efficient asylum
procedures for those who may possibly be in need of international protection,
based on the understanding that disembarkation does not necessarily imply sole
responsibility for processing and solutions by the State on whose territory
persons rescued at sea are disembarked.
6. Persons found in need of
international protection should be given access to a durable solution, which
could include mechanisms for an equitable distribution/relocation of those
recognized as refugees or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection within the
European Union or evacuation to a designated Evacuation Transit Centre based on
existing models from where resettlement efforts could be undertaken both to
European countries and non- European countries.
7. The gathering,
analysis and sharing of data on movements by sea in the Mediterranean region,
aimed at increasing knowledge of routes, motives and profiles of arrivals as a
basis for building shared assessments and responses.
8. Further
development of capacity and institution building of countries of transit
including coordination efforts to identify and prosecute persons involved in
smuggling and trafficking.
9. Reinforcement of protection strategies in
countries of first asylum crossed by persons embarking on boats. These can
include support to local integration through formal education, vocational
training and livelihood support. It should also include enhanced resettlement
efforts, facilitated access to family reunion options and other protection entry
mechanisms.
10. Increased mass information programmes on local media and
along the transit routes, including points of entry, aimed at informing all
potential population of risks of onward movements.
Photo: Over 30,000 migrants have made the journey to southern Italy by boat so far this year.
© UNHCR/L.Boldrini
Ämnen
- Flykting-, migrationsfrågor
Kategorier
- medelhavet
- tragedi
- un high commissioner for refugees
- antónio guterres
- fartyg
- flyktingar
- malta
- italien
FN:s flyktingorgan UNHCR verkar för skydd och bistånd till miljoner flyktingar världen över, på ett opartiskt sätt och oberoende av etnisk bakgrund, religion, politisk åskådning och kön.