We’re killing them: UN puts blame for migrant boat deaths on search and rescue cuts
The bodies of 300 dead migrants were brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday. The very name of the island is increasingly a byword for death and desperation. An old airport nearby was turned into an impromptu morgue. Coffins were brought and then driven away. They were the latest victims of the harsh indifference of Europe.
Some died trying to cross the Mediterranean in the bitter cold. Others died during the rescue operation by Italian coast guards. But according to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, much of the responsibility for these deaths must be placed at the feet of European governments, including ours.
When Italy's major patrol and rescue operation, Mare Nostrum, ended last year, a smaller EU operation called Triton took over. It was far more limited, only operating up to 30 miles off the Italian coast and with far fewer ships.
That was bad enough, but the UK went even further. It withdrew its support for all lifesaving operations. Foreign Office minister Lady Anelay said:
"We do not support planned search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean."
The operations provided "an unintended 'pull factor', encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths".
Even the restricted operations of Triton were considered too charitable by the UK government. It was prepared to sacrifice human lives in order to send a message to African migrants.
Carlotta Sami, the UNHCR's representative for southern Europe, told the BBC:
"We warned everybody in October that by lowering the tension and the operational capacity of the search and rescue operation, this might happen. The EU has done too little too late."
Leonard Doyle, from the International Organisation for Migration, said:
"We think it could certainly have been prevented had there been a better life-saving flotilla or task force in place. The Mediterranean rescue flotilla, which was known as Mare Nostrum, isn't there anymore because a political decision has been taken that this was attracting people to attempt to cross the Mediterranean. If anybody believes that taking away the lifeguards… taking away the security and the rescue mission… [is] going to deter people, that's just frankly incorrect."
In 2014, about 3,500 migrants died trying to cross the Mediterranean sea. During that same period, more than 200,000 people were rescued by the Mare Nostrum mission. Now that mission is not in operation, the death toll is expected to be much worse. Already we've lost at least 465 people, compared to just 27 during the same period last year.
The stream of corpses washing up on Europe's shores is a testament to its moral failure.
The boats are not going to stop. The deaths which took place this week, and will continue to take place this year, are the direct responsibility of those who refuse to fund rescue operations.
