The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, called on EU Member States on Wednesday 30 January to take responsibility for addressing the issue of migrant sea crossings and to at least begin to agree on a temporary landing scheme.
While in Brussels, he presented the results of a new report according to which “on average, 6 people per day died" while trying to reach the EU in 2018. While the number of arrivals in Europe is constantly decreasing, the number of deaths has "more than doubled” proportionally, the Italian explained, believing that European governments should "think about that." In 2018, the number of deaths was estimated at 2,275. While this rate is down compared to 2016 in particular (5,096 deaths), it remains high given the sharp decline in the number of arrivals.
Mr. Grandi also deplored the decreased search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean, particularly linked to the withdrawal of NGOs. In 2017, there were still about 10 NGO boats that could save migrants at sea; today, there are only "two." According to him, the Member States are currently engaged in a "negative race not to welcome people,” referring to the difficulties that Member States have on agreeing to welcome the few people rescued at sea and blocked in European ports. One example is the Sea Watch 3 boat and its 47 migrants who will be welcomed in 7 Member States after waiting for 12 days off the coast of Sicily, the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced on 30 January.
The High Commissioner also reviewed the situation in Libya, where he sees slight improvements in that organizations can operate with the IOM in new centres and extract more migrants from detention centres for relocation to other countries, such as Niger, but also Romania, he said. However, detention conditions in Libya remain deplorable, said Filippo Grandi, and again, Europeans must do their utmost to make their contribution, including by fully responding to the Commission's call in 2017 to open 50,000 resettlement places in the EU. As of today, 21,000 places have been opened. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)