“For the Italian and European authorities, there is Shipwreck and Shipwreck, one in capital letters and the other in small letters, one immediately saved and the other abandoned to its fate,” laments Sea-Watch in an Instagram post. The NGO recounts the fate of an inflatable boat with 43 people on board that deflated and began to sink. “Twelve people remained in the water for hours, probably to reduce the weight and protect the four children on board. The night before, I had already informed the authorities about the people in distress. No success. » Finally, the NGO boat found the boat in danger just in time. “No rescue operation was carried out by the authorities. »
This example reflects a common situation in Mediterranean waters, but also in the English Channel. In November 2021, 27 migrants died in a shipwreck. And the transcript of communications from the Rescue Center (Cross) confirmed one survivor's story: despite their many calls for help, no rescue operation was launched.
“The European Union has lost its values”
The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans shares the same point of view as Sea-Watch and also denounces the lack of reaction of the authorities towards migrant boats in distress. “It is not wrong to intervene to save wealthy individuals on yachts or tourists; what is wrong is the inconsistency in the application of these rescue strategies to rescue migrants in distress”, said Luca Casarini, one of the founders of the association, at “Tutor”.
For Òscar Camps of the NGO Open Arms, the events in Sicily recall the multimillion-dollar rescue efforts for the five men aboard the submersible Titan as they plunged toward the wreck of the Titanic. “I am ashamed to belong to this society. And to be part of a European Union that has lost the principles and values it was founded on.”