UN agencies have appealed to European countries to restart government rescue operations for migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. More needs to be done to improve inhumane conditions for displaced people in Libya as well.
Martin Zamorra, an undertaker in Spain, has been struggling to identify the bodies of migrants who died while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea for years. He wants to repatriate their remains to their countries of origin.
Private sea rescue organizations are struggling for their presence in the Mediterranean: Ships are seized, penalties could increase and tedious stand-offs with authorities put a strain on crews. While Sea-Eye has ended its mission for the time being, German charity Mission Lifeline has announced it is preparing a new rescue mission with a new ship.
German NGO Sea-Watch said it wants to share the donations it has collected for captain Carola Rackete with other migrant rescue organizations that operate in the Mediterranean. Sea-Watch 3 captain Rackete, who is hiding in Italy, said she doesn’t want to return to Germany for the time being.
A sailboat belonging to Italian charity Mediterranea Saving Humans has rescued 54 people including pregnant women and children in distress off the Italian island of Lampedusa. Barred from docking in Italy, it refuses to accept an offer by Malta to take in the migrants. It is the 21st stand-off since Italy's populist government has begun refusing any port access to humanitarian groups rescuing migrants at sea.
The private search-and-rescue organization Sea-Watch made headlines when its captain Carola Rackete defied orders by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and docked a ship in Lampedusa with 40 rescued migrants on board. What’s next for the NGO and its captain, who has fast become a heroine for migrant supporters?
Europol set up a new task force in charge of combating human trafficking networks. Its head Robert Crepinko said that in addition to addressing new ways of smuggling, the task force would also deal with the use of fraudulent documents, money laundering and the role of social media in illegal migration. He also stressed that there is a rise in violence among smuggling gangs as a means to maximize profits.
After the latest stand-off with the Italian government, German NGO Sea Watch has said that it will resume migrant rescue operations at sea as soon as possible.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has issued a warning that Mediterranean sea crossings have become increasingly dangerous for migrants. Analyzing statistical data, a representative of the UN refugee agency says that drownings have become much more likely to occur in recent years, partly due to changing refugee policies in the EU.
Over the weekend, two collections, one in Germany and one running on Facebook in Italy, have managed to gather over 1.3 million euros in order to help the German Organization Sea-Watch and their captain Carola Rackete, who is under arrest in Italy for entering a port without permission.
The family of Aylan Kurdi have denounced a Turkish movie based on his life and death at sea. Images of the drowned toddler's body sent shockwaves around the world when he died.
Sea-Watch captain Carola Rackete's arrest sent shockwaves through Europe, with many high-ranking politicians across the EU praising her actions while others believe she broke the law. However, Rackete is not the only German citizen facing serious legal consequences in Italy for saving the lives of migrants at sea.