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In theory, the European Union’s Border and Coast Guard agency – Frontex – has all the tools, equipment, and mechanisms at their disposal to rescue boats in distress in the Mediterranean Sea.
In practice, people are dying at sea by the thousands.
Over the last decade, more than 30,000 people have died or been reported missing in the Mediterranean, making it one of the deadliest migration routes anywhere in the world.
HRW and others have extensively documented that the agency’s practices make them complicit in human rights violations at Europe’s borders and beyond.
As European leaders double down on plans to prevent people from arriving on EU soil, they are increasingly shifting responsibility to third countries like Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, and Egypt, where people are facing serious abuses.
Currently, when Frontex planes and drones detect boats, the agency alerts rescue coordination centers in EU member states as well as in Libya and Tunisia. It does not, however, systematically inform nongovernmental rescue ships in the area or regularly issue emergency alerts to mobilize all nearby vessels.
Apart from interceptions, forcible returns and possible rights violations in third countries like Tunisia or Libya, the failure to issue emergency alerts can also contribute to avoidable delays and tragic shipwrecks.
What can be done?
HRW has launched a new campaign, asking Frontex to uphold its EU and international law obligations and act #WithHumanity. Because properly used, support from Frontex planes and drones can help save lives at sea.
Frontex should use its aerial surveillance capacity to ensure timely rescues of vessels in distress and more generally, do all it can to help ensure people on unseaworthy boats are rescued and brought to safety.
In our campaign, we are asking you to take a closer look at the lives and rights at risk in the Mediterranean Sea and your shared humanity with those making the crossing, and demand action by the responsible authorities.
The EU should act now, to ensure safe and legal channels to Europe.
