The European Commission called on Wednesday 9 November in a statement for “the immediate disembarkation, at the nearest place of safety, of all persons rescued and who are on board the Ocean Viking”, the boat of the NGO SOS Méditerranée.
When Italy refused to let the 234 migrants rescued at sea by the Ocean Viking disembark more than a fortnight ago, SOS Méditerranée decided on 9 November to head for France, but the two countries have denied responsibility for the situation.
Paris accused Rome of not respecting European and international law, even though Italy is the nearest safe place to land these people and benefits from the “European financial solidarity mechanism”, said French government spokesperson Olivier Véran.
“The situation onboard the vessel has reached a critical level and needs to be urgently addressed to avoid a humanitarian tragedy”, explains the Commission, recalling “the legal obligation to rescue and to ensure the safety of life at sea [...] irrespective of the circumstances that lead people to be in a situation of distress”.
It also recalls “the principle of sincere cooperation and calls on Member States to work together to ensure a common response”.
It will convene a meeting to “work further on common solutions”, it announced. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)