The European Union has been involved, according to the EU Commission since 2015, with operations in the Mediterranean sea in the rescue of nearly 730,000 refugees. The EU-Commissioner for refugees Dimitris informed Avramopoulos, in a Letter to the EU Parliament, from the Newspapers of the Funke media quoting the group.
“The rescue of human lives, remains for the EU and its member States a Must”, – stated in it. Avramopoulos stressed at the same time, non-governmental organizations had played a “crucial role in the rescue of life”. It’ll be done on the lake real humanitarian aid, which should not be criminalized. The Commissioner also made clear that all stakeholders need to ensure in the Mediterranean to help at sea, respecting international rules and not the business model of the refugee tug to maintain.
a few days Ago, the EU had stopped their marine use “Sophia” in front of the Libyan coast and can save no migrants any more distress. Italy had been threatened with a Blockade of the extension of the mandate. Reason for the From the naval operation that could not some of the member States on a System for the distribution of rescued at sea migrants. The decision of the EU to operate in the Anti-smuggling Operation, “Sophia”, for the time being, only air reconnaissance and Libyan coast guards train.
The UN refugee Agency, UNHCR, reacted with sharp critique to the deduction of the last two existing ships from the EU naval mission. “The decision of the EU member States, the exit Operation ‘Sophia’, in fact, is a depressing setback for a Europe of humanity,” said Dominik Bartsch, head of the UNHCR in Germany, the “world on Sunday”. At the same time, he called for new measures to rescue migrants between Libya and Europe from sea.
Without the ships could meet “Sophia” is neither their mandate – the fight against people smugglers and human traffickers, yet people in distress at sea rescue, said Bartsch. He demanded the establishment of new rescue missions, to increase the capacity for Maritime search and rescue. “That is to say, it needs more ships, no matter who makes them in the waters between Libya and Europe, where people drown,” said Bartsch.
EU refugee comment Dimitris Avramopoulos.Photo: John Thya/AFP
Additionally, restrictions on private rescuers would have to be repealed. “The rescue of people in distress at sea is a humanitarian and legal imperative that is written in international Convention”, – said Bartsch. Since 2015 had been saved by the Operation of the “Sophia” around 45,000 people.
UNHCR alleges setting of “Sophia” sniper
UNHCR representative Bartsch stressed that Libya is not a “safe haven”, in which the people could bring. “Thousands of people are sitting in front of the gates of Europe in the Libyan internment degrading conditions of the camps people are being raped, sold, or enslaved,” said the UNHCR representative.
In Berlin demonstrated on Saturday, several thousand people against the planned asylum law, stricter and for the resumption of the rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean sea. Under the Motto “#Seehofer wegbassen” called rescuers, the participants safe havens for refugees, and the decriminalization of Refugee workers and civil Distress.
The Federal interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) proposed “Ordered-return-law” restricts the rule of law, fair process and involvement of civil society, it said. The law provides for, inter alia, that deportation threatened people can be put in regular jails, and the publication of the deportation dates, is to the Crime, criticized the demonstrators.
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EU pulls “Sophia”ships are save from people from Drowning? The once was
Malte Lehming
Also in other German cities on Saturday, there was demonstrations of a Europe-wide Initiative, “pier”, including in Nürnberg and Köln. In Berlin, the organisers spoke to the short message service Twitter of 6000 participants, the police of several thousand. (dpa, epd)
