Lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea: who is responsible?

Assemblea parlamentare del Consiglio Europeo

Report Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Rapporteur: Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, Socialist Group

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Summary

The starting point for this report is that at least 1 500 people are known to have lost their lives at

tempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2011. 

This report however focuses on one particularly harrowing case in which a

small boat left Tripoli with 72 people on board and after two weeks at sea drifted back to Libya with

only nine

survivors. No one went to the aid of this boat, des

pite a distress call logged by the Italian Maritime

Rescue

Coordination Centre, which pinpointed the boat’s po

sition. There were also a number of alleged direct

contacts

between the boat in distress and other vessels, inc

luding a helicopter that dropped biscuits and water

, but

never returned, two fishing vessels, both of which

refused to provide assistance, and a large military

vessel

which came into close contact with the boat, but ig

nored obvious distress signals.