Britain has never been at the forefront of search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean so its refusal to help prevent migrants from drowning marks no real change, according to human rights organisations.
The UK has decided not to support any future search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, claiming they simply encourage more people to attempt the dangerous sea crossing, The Guardian newspaper reported yesterday.
In the past, the country has deployed some staff and equipment in support of operations run by the EU border agency Frontex.
The EU has made an appeal to all member states to come to its aid this year. But the British government now believes there is an unintended ‘pull factor’ in the operations, which encourage more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing, leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths, according to The Guardian.
Yet the stand marks no real change in the country’s efforts to support EU operations to prevent migrant deaths at its borders, according to Maltese human rights organisations. Their greater concern is that the EU will have an effective replacement for the Italian operation to save lives at sea, Mare Nostrum.
The mission has saved more than 140,000 lives in the past year but it has cost the country €9 million per month.
Frontex’s new operation, Triton, will have a monthly budget of €3 million but its main mission is border control.
“This means that many, many more people are going to lose their lives. There’s no doubt about that,” said Neil Falzon, director of Aditus Foundation.
Integra Foundation agreed that there was no marked change in the British government’s policy on migration in the Mediterranean. “Their approach has always been the securitisation of borders. There’s no drastic change in policy, which is reflected in the number of migrants the UK has taken from Malta through the EU relocation programme – only 10 over the years,” said Maria Pisani. Both human rights organisations told Times of Malta Europe had to seek a long-term solution to stop people trying to use boats as a means of escape. “If not, we’ll have the same issue over and over again, one summer after another,” Dr Falzon said.
It is on this point that the British government’s stance was criticised. While seeking solutions beyond the Mediterranean was necessary in the long term, rescuing migrants at sea could not be ignored in the short term.
“You can’t have one replacing the other. The short-term problem of people dying at the borders needs to be addressed. It is not morally acceptable for anyone to turn a cold shoulder to something like that. You have thousands of people dying at your borders – there’s no escaping that,” Dr Falzon said.
Due to conflicts and persecution in the Middle East and Africa, this was a record year for migrants and refugees attempting to flee persecution and war by crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe, totalling 165,000 according to UNHCR data.
But the numbers pale in comparison with what neighbouring countries are hosting.
“Lebanon is a country of four million people and it’s hosting one million Syrians. Europe is abdicating its responsibility,” said Dr Pisani.