The Council of Europe has vilified, in a report published Tuesday, March 9, the "
lack of will of European states
" to establish policies for the protection of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, causing the loss of "
thousands of human lives
".
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"
For years, the countries of Europe have been engaged in a race towards the abyss, to keep outside our borders those in need of our protection, with disastrous consequences
", laments Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights. man from the Council of Europe, in the introduction to the report.
“
Their response is one of the most egregious examples of how bad migration policies undermine human rights and claim the lives of thousands of human beings,
” she continues.
The deplorable human rights situation in the Mediterranean
The document takes stock of the implementation of the recommendations published in 2019, in a previous report, by the Council of Europe.
And the observation is clear: "
The human rights situation in the Mediterranean region remains deplorable
", and has "
deteriorated further
".
Over the period observed, between June 2019 and the end of 2020, more than 2,600 deaths were recorded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The report underlines that this figure is undoubtedly underestimated, drownings often occurring outside the radars.
The Council of Europe lists several reasons for the deterioration of the situation, in particular "
the gradual withdrawal of ships chartered by the States
", at the same time as the obstacles, administrative and judicial, posed to the rescue operations carried out by the NGOs.
"
The approach of states is still to limit the vital work of NGOs, rather than seeing them fill in the gaps left by their own disengagement
."
The institution believes that this disengagement of European states aims to "
increase the possibility
" that people at sea will be intercepted by the Libyan coast guard and brought back to this country, despite the "
serious human rights violations
" committed there against. migrants.
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Dunja Mijatovic calls on the member countries of the Council of Europe, all signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, to take measures to preserve the lives of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
"
This is a matter of life and death - and it is a question of the credibility of the commitment of European countries to human rights,
" she warns.