The European Commission stressed on Monday 21 January that bringing back migrants rescued at sea to Libya was not "part of our policies", but that this could be done under international law and the place of rescue.
On 20 January, a ship flying the Sierra Leone flag rescued some 100 people off Libya and brought them back to Libya.
The German NGO Sea-Watch announced on 19 January that it had rescued 47 people. However, the Commission, although monitoring the operations "closely", was not asked to coordinate them.
Two new shipwrecks have also reportedly occurred in the Mediterranean, killing up to 170 people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which interviewed survivors. A first shipwreck off Libya on the weekend reportedly killed 117 people; a second one occurred between Spain and Morocco, killing 53 people.
According to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, "what has happened confirms the importance of a European Union presence at sea through Operation Sophia". "In recent years, we have saved lives, fought against traffickers and trained Libyan coastguards, not only to rescue at sea, but also to fight trafficking at sea and on land. And this, while respecting human rights, is not an easy task.” "We are working with Member States to extend Operation Sophia in the coming months”, she added at the Foreign Ministers' meeting (see other news).
Several Mediterranean countries mention migration issues in Malta
A so-called 5+5 ministerial meeting (France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Mauritania and Algeria) was held in Malta on 17 and 18 January to discuss Euro-Mediterranean issues (see EUROPE 12175).
In a written statement, the foreign ministers of these countries called for strengthening the fight against smugglers and acknowledged the need to improve cooperation mechanisms and mechanisms to save lives at sea. They also call, in reference to NGOs, for respect for international law and rescue rules and not to obstruct rescue operations carried out by the competent national authorities.
See the Valletta Declaration: http://bit.ly/2AXKePt. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)