In a letter addressed to Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, published on Monday, Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, urges the Maltese government to fully meet its obligations towards migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, who cross the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach Europe. She also calls on it to “investigate and address all credible allegations of delay or non-response” to “any situation of distress at sea”.
Noting that “Libya cannot be considered a place of safety”, she called on the Maltese Government to refrain from taking any action or instructions that would result in the return of persons rescued or intercepted at sea to that country. No handing over of responsibility to the Libyan Coast Guard can be envisaged if it presents a risk of disembarking in Libya, she adds, before insisting that the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic “cannot negate clear obligations to save lives at sea and to ensure prompt and safe disembarkation”.
The Commissioner concludes by reiterating her call to CoE member states to show greater solidarity with countries like Malta, which are on the front line of migration. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)