Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 13th April. International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday that over 400 migrants died as they tried to cross the Central Mediterranean between January and March of this year, the deadliest quarter on record since 2017.
IOM’s Missing Migrants Project documented 441 deaths during this period, though the true toll is likely to be higher, the agency said.
The agency noted the investigations continue into so-called invisible shipwrecks cases where boats are reported missing but there are no records of survivors or search and rescue operations.
IOM said that the fates of 300 people aboard those vessels remain unclear.
The Central Mediterranean route – stretched overseas from North Africa to Italy and, to a lesser degree, Malta – is the world’s most dangerous maritime crossing.
IOM said the rise in deaths comes amidst delays in State-led rescue responses and hindrance to SAR operations carried out by NGOs.
IOM Director General, António Vitorino said that “The persisting humanitarian crisis in the Central Mediterranean is intolerable,”
“With more than 20,000 deaths recorded on this route since 2014, I fear that these deaths have been normalized. States must respond. Delays and gaps in State-led SAR are costing human lives,” he added.
The agency noted the delays in State-led rescues as a factor in at least 6 incidents in the Central Mediterranean, led to at least 127 fatalities, while the complete absence of response in a seventh case, claimed at least 73 lives.
IOM said that NGO-led rescue efforts have been “markedly diminished” of late, outlined the latest incidents.
IOM reported that on 25 March, the Libyan Coast Guard fired shots in the air as an NGO rescue ship, Ocean King, was responding to a report of a rubber boat in distress.
Another vessel, the Louise Michel, was detained in Italy after rescuing 180 people, reminiscent of the situation of the Geo Barents, which was detained in February and released.
IOM said 3,000 migrants reached Italy, brought the total number of arrivals to 31,192.
A vessel carrying 800 people was rescued over 200 kilometers southeast of Sicily by the Italian Coast Guard with the assistance of a commercial vessel.
The Italian Coast Guard rescued another ship with around 400 migrants that had been adrift for two days between Italy and Malta.
IOM noted that not all migrants from these ships have reached safety and disembarked in Italy yet.
Mr. Vitorino said “Saving lives at sea is a legal obligation for States,”
“We need to see proactive State-led coordination in search and rescue efforts.”
IOM said the troubling situation in the Central Mediterranean underscored the need for dedicated, predictable State-led SAR and disembarkation.
Action must include supporting NGOs that provide lifesaving assistance at sea, and ending the criminalization, obstruction and deterrence of the efforts of those who provide such assistance.
IOM stressed that all maritime vessels, including commercial ships, have a legal obligation to provide rescue to boats in distress.
The agency called for more concerted action to dismantle criminal smuggling networks and to prosecute those who profit from the desperation of migrants and refugees by facilitating dangerous journeys.
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