EU policies partially responsible for 3,000 deaths in Mediterranean last year, say rights groups

Several Mediterranean rescue groups are urging the EU to change its policies, which they argue are contributing to the deaths of over 3,000 people last year.

A 2023 decree has limited the response capacity of NGO-run civil fleets, forcing them to head to assigned ports of disembarkation immediately after completing a rescue, hindering additional rescues.

Italy has also assigned rescue boats to ports far from their operating areas, leading to longer journeys and increased fuel costs, raising concerns about the lives that could have been saved if the boats were able to conduct more timely rescue missions.

The Italian government defends these measures as a way to distribute arrivals, but NGOs argue that it comes at the cost of lives and increased expenses.

The EU’s lack of a coordinated search-and-rescue operation and the limited support for NGOs trying to fill this gap have also been criticized.

Additionally, there are concerns about a potential deal between Italy and Albania that could result in the transfer of thousands of migrants from Italy to reception centers in Albania, which has been met with criticism from human rights groups, with Amnesty International calling the proposal “unworkable, harmful and unlawful”.