Shafaqna English– Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that the EU’s Border Agency (Frontex) must use its aerial surveillance capabilities to save refugees’ lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
The appeal came after HRW met the agency’s Executive Director, Hans Leijtens, on April 2. He was delivered an EU-wide petition, signed by almost 18,000 people, urging Frontex to take concrete steps to help expedite the rescue of vessels in distress.
This would involve the agency’s aircraft sharing information with NGO vessels operating in the Mediterranean about sightings of refugee vessels. Frontex could also issue more frequent emergency alerts to all nearby vessels and provide continuous monitoring, HRW said.
In the past decade, at least 31,700 people have died or been reported missing in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Judith Sunderland, Europe and Central Asia Associate-Director at HRW, said: “The shocking death toll in the Mediterranean requires concerted action. As an actor at sea, Frontex has a responsibility under international law to use its resources to facilitate rescues that end in disembarkation of rescued people in a safe place.”
Frontex previously faced criticism over its sharing of aerial intelligence with authorities in Libya, with HRW documenting the agency’s complicity in the abuse and indefinite detention of migrants in the North African country.
Source: Arab News