UN appeals for urgent disembarkation of stranded refugees, migrants in Mediterranean

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday again urged European governments to swiftly offer a place of safety to people who remain on NGO vessels on the Central Mediterranean.

In a joint statement, the agencies said their call is to allow the immediate disembarkation of nearly 600 people who remain on NGO vessels after being rescued in Maltese and Libyan search and rescue zones on the Central Mediterranean.

At least 1,337 people have gone missing on the Central Mediterranean migration route this year, according to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.

Most of the 88,000 people who arrived by sea in Italy in 2022 were rescued by the Italian Coast Guard and other Italian state-led rescue ships or came autonomously, and 15% were rescued by NGO vessels.

“Italy’s efforts in the disembarkation of some 400 people, the most vulnerable on-board Humanity 1 and Geo Barents, including children traveling alone and others requiring urgent medical attention, are welcomed,” said the statement. “However, a solution is urgently needed for all remaining survivors on all four vessels at sea.”

- Survivors at sea

The UNHCR and IOM said that despite continuous advocacy efforts, the survivors, some of whom have been at sea for up to two weeks, remain stranded on board the four NGO search and rescue vessels in international waters.

They said 234 people remain on the Ocean Viking boat, 217 on Geo Barents, 35 on Humanity 1, and another 88 on the Rise Above.

“Those stranded need to be disembarked swiftly without any further delay,” said the statement.

“We call on states in the region to protect the lives of those rescued by ending the current impasse and offering a place of safety for disembarkation.”

The UN agencies said safe disembarkation should be followed by meaningful responsibility-sharing between all states concerned through regional, cooperative arrangements.

All coastal states could then discharge their search, rescue, and disembarkation responsibilities.

“A piecemeal and ad-hoc approach from the high seas which continues to leave coastal states alone cannot be so pursued and is not sustainable,” said the two UN groups.

They stressed that the priority must be saving lives and respecting human dignity.

“Those arriving from Libya have, in many cases, suffered severe abuse and human rights violations,” said the statement.

“The vulnerabilities of all migrants and refugees who cross the Mediterranean – including accompanied and unaccompanied children, victims of trafficking, survivors of torture – should be identified to activate national and international protection and reception mechanisms.”