The European Commission said on 3 November that it was “following very closely” the situation of the humanitarian NGO boats, which have been asking the European authorities for several days to designate a safe port to disembark several hundred people who have been rescued since 22 October and are waiting on board these ships. While the Commission mentioned that saving lives is a “duty” for Member States, it is not “involved in” or “responsible” for coordinating operations or designating a safe landing place.
The institution was speaking about the boats of the German NGO SOS Humanity and the European NGO SOS Méditerranée, which on Thursday 3 November called on France, Spain and Greece to help disembark 234 people on board the Ocean Viking. The SOS Humanity ship, waiting off the coast of Sicily, is currently hosting 179 people.
SOS Méditerranée had already contacted the competent authorities in the search area concerned - in Libya and Malta - on 22 October, and then turned to Italy, but no response was given. According to AFP, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is considering a ban on the entry into territorial waters of the ship chartered by SOS Méditerranée and the boat of the German NGO SOS Humanity, and has indicated that his country cannot take charge of migrants rescued by foreign boats.
Member States could, in any case, come to the aid of southern EU countries that received these ships, by activating the voluntary relocation mechanism agreed under the French Presidency of the EU Council, as the Commission highlighted.
This plans to help frontline countries to provide 10,000 relocation places over a year, even if participating Member States have only planned for 8,000 places. According to the Commission, 38 relocations from Italy to France took place up to the end of August, and 74 to Germany in October. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)