April 2015 Mediterranean Sea migrant shipwrecks

April 2015 Mediterranean Sea migrant shipwrecks
Augusta
Lampedusa
Rhodes
Tripoli
April 2015 Mediterranean Sea migrant shipwrecks (Mediterranean)
Date 13–20 April 2015
Location Various locations in the Mediterranean Sea
Cause Vessels capsized
Participants Over 1500
Outcome Several vessels sank, rescues in process
Deaths Over 1200 (estimated; 35 confirmed)
Missing 450

In April 2015, at least five boats carrying almost two thousand migrants to Europe sank in the Mediterranean Sea, with a combined death toll estimated at more than 1,200 people.

The first sinking took place on 13 April, with additional shipwrecks occurring on 16, 19, and 20 April.[1][2][3][4] The events took place in a context of ongoing conflicts in several North African and Middle Eastern countries as well as the refusal by several European Union (EU) governments to fund the Italian-run rescue option Operation Mare Nostrum, which was replaced by Frontex's Operation Triton in November 2014. Many of the migrant vessels have been traveling from Libya to the Italian island of Lampedusa or the port of Augusta,[3] although one of the incidents on 20 April occurred off the Greek island of Rhodes in the eastern Mediterranean.

On 23 April EU governments agreed to triple funding for border patrol operations in the Mediterranean so that they would be equal to the previous capabilities of Operation Mare Nostrum but Amnesty International immediately criticized the EU's decision not "to extend Triton's operational area" to the area previously covered by Mare Nostrum.[5]

Background

Mediterranean migrant
deaths by quarter[6]
Per 1,000 arrivals
Q1 2015 46.5
Q4 2014 7.8
Q3 2014 30.6
Q2 2014 13.2
Q1 2014 4.2

Between 2007 and 2011, large numbers of undocumented immigrants from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia crossed between Turkey and Greece, leading Greece and the European Border Protection agency Frontex to upgrade border controls.[7] In 2012 immigrant influx to Greece by land decreased by 95% after the construction of a fence on that part of the Greek-Turkish frontier which does not follow the course of the river Marica (Evros).[8] In 2015, Bulgaria followed by upgrading a border fence to prevent migrant flows through Turkey.[9] Migrants have increasingly attempted boat voyages to Europe due to civil conflicts, unrest, persecution or economic reasons, including travelers from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Zambia.[10] In particular, a flare up of conflict in Libya in the aftermath of the civil war there has contributed to an escalation of departures from the country.

The 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck involved "more than 360" deaths, leading the Italian government to establish Operation Mare Nostrum, a large scale naval operation that involved search and rescue, with some migrants brought aboard a naval amphibious assault ship.[11] In 2014, the Italian government ended the operation due to costs, which were too large for just one EU state; Frontex assumed the main responsibility for search and rescue operations. The Frontex operation is called Operation Triton.[12] The Italian government had requested additional funds from the EU to continue the operation but member states did not offer the requested support.[13] The UK government cited fears that the operation was acting as "an unintended 'pull factor', encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths".[14] The operation consists of two surveillance aircraft and three ships, with seven teams of staff who gather intelligence and conduct screening/identification processing. Its monthly budget is estimated at €2.9 million.[12]

Statistics

Migrants crossing EU sea borders
in 2014, Q4 by nationality[15]
Syria 17,245
Afghanistan 4,468
Gambia 2,558
Unspecified sub-Saharan nationals 2,490
Somalia 2,148
Nigeria 2,112
Senegal 2,043
Eritrea 1,971
Palestine 1,893
Mali 1,469
Others 7,824
Total 46,221

According to the International Organization for Migration, up to 3,072 migrants died or disappeared in 2014 in the Mediterranean while trying to migrate to Europe.[16] Overall estimates are that between 2000 and 2014 over 22,000 migrants died. In 2014, 280,000 migrants irregularly entered the European Union, mainly following the Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkan routes.[16][17][18] 220,194 crossed EU sea borders in the Central, Eastern and Western Mediterranean.[15]

In 2014, 170,100 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, a 296% increase compared to 2013. 141,484 of the travelers ferried from Libya. The migrants had come from Syria (42,323), Eritrea (34,329), Mali (9,908), Nigeria (9,000), Gambia (8,691), Somalia (5,756), and other areas (4,095).[19] 64,625 applied for asylum.[20]

Between 1 January and 3 March 2015, 7,882 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, a +40.5% increase compared to the same period in 2014. 7,257 of the travelers ferried from Libya. Most of them had come from the Horn of Africa (1,088 from Somalia, 817 from Eritrea), West Africa (969 from Gambia, 919 from Senegal, 725 from Mali, 463 from Nigeria, 282 from Ivory Coast, 173 from Guinea) and Syria (920).[21]

As of 17 April, the total number of migrants reaching the Italian coasts is 21,191 since 1 January 2015, with a decrease during the month of March due to bad weather conditions, and a surge since 10 April, bringing the total number of arrivals in line with the number recorded in the same period in 2014. However, the death toll in the first four months of 2014 was 96, compared with 500 in the same period in 2015; this number excludes victims of the devastating shipwrecks on 13 and 19 April.[22][23]

Incidents

The number of reported deaths of migrants crossing the Mediterranean towards Italy increased in April 2015; a number of different incidents resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people and led to the staging of rescue operations.[24]

Shipwreck of 13 April

13 April 2015 shipwreck
Date 13 April 2015
Location Off Libya
Mediterranean
Cause Vessel capsized
Participants about 550[1]
Outcome Vessel sank, 144–150 rescued
Deaths 9 (bodies found)
Missing 400+[1]

On 13 April 2015, a vessel sank off the Libyan coast with up to 550 migrants on board. More than 400 people are believed to have drowned.[25] 144–150 people have been rescued and were taken to a hospital in Southern Italy.[26] The capsizing occurred 60 nautical miles (110 km) off the Libyan coast.[27]

Air and sea search operations started in the location of the shipwreck, looking for survivors. Nine bodies were recovered, and the Italian Coast Guard stated that "no more survivors have been found."

Save the Children stated that "there were 400 victims in this shipwreck, which occurred 24 hours after [their vessel] left the Libyan coast." The International Organisation for Migration in Italy announced that the shipwreck's cause is unknown and their investigation continues, while AFP reported, that per their initial investigations the boat may have capsized when passengers moved after having spotted the Italian rescue team.[28]

Incidents of 16 April

On 16 April, four immigrants arriving in Sicily said they were the only survivors of a sunken ship. They said that 41 people had drowned when their vessel overturned and sank shortly after departing from Libya.[29][30] In an unrelated incident, 15 people were arrested in Sicily following reports that they had thrown 12 other passengers overboard, causing them to drown. According to eyewitnesses, a fight had broken out between Christian and Muslim groups on the boat, resulting in 12 Christians being thrown overboard.[31][32]

Shipwreck of 19 April

19 April shipwreck
Date 19 April 2015
Location Off Libya
Mediterranean
Cause Vessel capsized
Outcome Vessel sank, 28 rescued
Deaths 800 (24 bodies recovered)[33]
Suspect(s) Ship's captain and one other male[33]

On 19 April, another boat that had just left the port city of Zuwarah, Tripoli capsized off the Libyan coast, during the night, with up to 850 migrants aboard. 28 people were rescued.[34] The incident happened 60 miles (100 km) off the Libyan coast and 120 miles (190 km) south of the southern Italian island, Lampedusa.[2] The boat may have capsized when people on board moved to one side when a ship approached. People assumed that the passing ship would rescue them.[35] Italian prosecutors say that a Bangladeshi survivor estimated 950 people were on board, and smugglers locked hundreds of the migrants in the ship's hold.[36] Among those on board were about 350 Eritreans, 200 Senegalese, as well as migrants from Syria, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gambia, Ivory Coast and Ethiopia.[37][38]

The Maltese Navy and Italian Coast Guard began mounting a rescue operation.[39] Despite 18 ships joining the rescue effort, only 28 survivors and 24 bodies were pulled from the water by nightfall.[33][36] This incident is cited by some as the shipwreck with the highest death toll in the history of the Mediterranean.[40] Among other incidents, however, the sinking of the SS Oria in 1944, with a death toll of over 4,000, claimed more lives.

On 21 April Italian officials reported that the Tunisian captain of the boat had been charged with reckless multiple homicide. It was also reported that the children on board had drowned because they were trapped on the boat's lower two levels.[33][41]

Shipwrecks of 20 April

Rhodes Shipwreck 20 April
Date 20 April 2015
Location Off Rhodes, Greece
Mediterranean
Cause Vessel hit reef[42]
Participants 93
Outcome Vessel sank, 3 deaths
Deaths 3
Injuries 30

Another boat carrying migrants reportedly sank off the east coast of Rhodes, Greece on 20 April, after striking a reef. Initial reports suggested that there had been at least three deaths. 93 people were rescued from the water, with 30 individuals hospitalized.[43] In contrast to the other wrecked ships, which have come from Libya, this boat had departed from Turkey.[42]

Two further reports of ships in distress in the waters between Libya and Italy appeared on 20 April.[4] It was stated that one boat contained up to 150 people, with the other containing up to 300. The precise locations of these boats was not revealed, and it was unclear whether these reports refer to separate vessels.[44] The Italian and Maltese navies are reported as having responded to these calls.[33][44] On Tuesday 21 April it was reported that all 450 passengers had been rescued, despite initial reports of deaths.[45]

Reaction

European Union

On 19 April, Italy's Premier Matteo Renzi returned to Rome from a political event he had been attending in Mantua and met his top ministers. Later on, he spoke by telephone to French President François Hollande and to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.[46][47] They agreed to call for an emergency meeting of European interior ministers to address the problem of migrant deaths. Renzi condemned human trafficking as a "new slave trade"[48] while Prime Minister Muscat said 19 April shipwreck was the "biggest human tragedy of the last few years." Hollande described people traffickers as "terrorists" who put migrant lives at risk. The German government's representative for migration, refugees and integration, Aydan Özoğuz, said that with more arrivals likely to arrive as the weather turned warmer, emergency rescue missions should be restored. "It was an illusion to think that cutting off Mare Nostrum would prevent people from attempting this dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean," she said.[49][50][51][51] Federica Mogherini called for collective EU action ahead of a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 20 April.[52][53]

In a press conference, Matteo Renzi confirmed that Italy had called an "extraordinary European council" meeting as soon as possible to discuss the tragedy,[54] various European leaders agreed with this idea.[55][56] On 19 April, British politician Nigel Farage called for the United Kingdom to offer refuge to Christians from Libya blaming David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy for the drowning of the migrants off of Italy. He stated that the exodus from the country had been caused by western intervention, approved by Cameron and Sarkozy, in the civil war in Libya.[57] Cameron tweeted on 20 April that he "supported" Renzi's "call for an emergency meeting of EU leaders to find a comprehensive solution" to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.[58] He later confirmed that he would attend an emergency summit of European leaders on Thursday.[59]

On 20 April the European Commission proposed a 10-point plan:[60]

The Guardian and Reuters noted that doubling the size of Operation Triton would still leave the mission with fewer resources than the previous Italian-run rescue option (Operation Mare Nostrum) whose budget was more than 3 times as large, had 4 times the number of aircraft[61] and had a wider mandate to conduct search and rescue operations across the Mediterranean Sea.[62]

On 23 April a 5-hour emergency summit was held and EU heads of state agreed to triple the budget of Operation Triton to €120 million for 2015–2016.[63] EU leaders claimed that this would allow for the same operational capabilities as Operation Mare Nostrum had had in 2013–2014. As part of the agreement the United Kingdom agreed to send HMS Bulwark, two naval patrol boats and three helicopters to join the Operation.[63] Amnesty International immediately criticized the EU response as "a face-saving not a life-saving operation" and said that "failure to extend Triton's operational area will fatally undermine today's commitment."[5]

International

The International Organization for Migration says that deaths at sea have increased ninefold after the end of Operation Mare Nostrum.[64] Amnesty International condemned European governments for "negligence towards the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean" which they say has led to an increase in deaths at sea.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised the funding of search and rescue operations. Amnesty International says that the EU is "turning its back on its responsibilities and clearly threatening thousands of lives."[65][66]

Pope Francis expressed his concern about the loss of life and urged EU leaders to "act decisively and quickly to stop these tragedies from recurring."[40]

Australian PM Tony Abbott said the tragedies were "worsened by Europe's refusal to learn from its own mistakes and from the efforts of others who have handled similar problems. Destroying the criminal people-smugglers was the centre of gravity of our border control policies, and judicious boat turnbacks was the key."[67]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "400 migrants die in shipwreck off Libya, survivors say". Reuters. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "700 migrants feared dead in Mediterranean shipwreck". The Guardian. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Matt Frei (17 April 2015). "Italy's migrant crisis: on the frontline in Augusta". Channel 4. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Two more Mediterranean migrant boats issue distress calls as EU ministers meet". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Europe's response: "Face-saving not a life-saving operation"". Amnesty International. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Italy calls for help rescuing migrants as 40 more reportedly drown". The Guardian. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Mapping Mediterranean migration". BBC. 15 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Greece completes anti-migrant fence at Turkish border". Kathimerini. 17 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Bulgaria to extend fence at Turkish border to bar refugee influx". Reuters. 14 January 2015.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "Mare Nostrum Operation". Marina Militare.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "EC MEMO, Brussels, 7 October 2014, Frontex Joint Operation 'Triton' – Concerted efforts to manage migration in the Central Mediterranean". European Union, European Commission. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Italy Is About to Shut Down the Sea Rescue Operation That Saved More Than 90,000 Migrants This Year". Vice News. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK axes support for Mediterranean migrant rescue operation". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "FRAN Quarterly. Quarter 4 October–December 2014" (PDF). Frontex. p. 14.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Migrant boat capsizes off Libya, 400 feared dead". Fox News Channel. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Latest Trends at external borders of the EU". Frontex. 2 February 2015.
  18. ↑ "Migratory routes map". Frontex. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Analisi: Paolo Gentiloni". Pagella Politica. 22 February 2015.
  20. ↑ "Quante persone hanno fatto domanda d'asilo (2014)?". Pagella Politica (in Italian). 13 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Sbarchi al 2 marzo 2015". ISMU. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "IOM Applauds Italy's Weekend Rescue at Sea of 2,800 Migrants". International Organization for Migration. 13 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Migrant Deaths Soar in Mediterranean". International Organization for Migration. 17 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Sea of Death: Many Migrants Drown Trying to Reach Italy". NBC News. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  25. ↑ Scherer, Steve; Jones, Gavin; Nebehay, Stephanie. "400 migrants die in shipwreck off Libya, survivors say" (14 April 2015). Reuters. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Several minors among victims of Libya shipwreck". News24 (15 April 2015). Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  27. ↑ "Libya migrants: Hundreds feared drowned in Mediterranean". BBC. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  28. ↑ "Hundreds of migrants believed to have drowned off Libya after boat capsizes". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "At least 41 drown off Libyan coast". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "41 more migrants feared drowned in new shipwreck". ITV.com. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "Migrants charged with throwing 12 Christians overboard". The Irish Times. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  32. ↑ "Muslim migrants 'threw Christians overboard during row on boat from Libya to Italy', say police". The Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Bonomolo, Alessandra; Kirchgaessner, Stephanie. "Migrant boat captain arrested as survivors of sinking reach Italy". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  34. ↑ Bonomolo, Alessandra; Krichgaessner, Stephanie. "UN says 800 migrants dead in boat disaster as Italy launches rescue of two more vessels". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  35. ↑ "700 feared dead after migrants desperate to get into Europe rush towards rescue ship and capsize their packed fishing boat". Daily Mail. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Survivor: Smugglers locked hundreds in hold of capsized boat". Associated Press. 20 April 2015.
  37. ↑ "Mediterranean boat capsizing: deadliest incident on record". UNHCR. 21 April 2015.
  38. ↑ "Mediterranean boat disaster: '200 Senegalese' among dead". BBC News. 30 April 2015.
  39. ↑ "Updated – Joseph Muscat and Matteo Renzi call for urgent EU summit meeting". Malta Today. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "Libya migrant boat sinking: Up to 700 feared dead as migrant ship capsizes in waters south of Italy". 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  41. ↑ "Mediterranean capsized migrants' boat's captain charged". BBC News. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Zikakou, Ioanna. "Tragedy with 200 Migrants Leaves 3 Dead in Rhodes". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  43. ↑ "Three reported dead as new footage emerges of migrants being rescued off Greek island of Rhodes". The Independent. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "New Mediterranean migrant distress calls as EU meets". BBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  45. ↑ Goldstein, Sasha. "Captain, crew member arrested in Mediterranean migrant ship disaster; EU leaders plan to 'destroy' smuggler boats". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  46. ↑ La Sicilia Multimedia. "Renzi chiama Hollande Salvini: "Tragedia annunciata"" (in Italian). lasiciliaweb.it. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  47. ↑ "Renzi: "Subito un vertice Ue, siamo pronti a bloccare la partenza dei barconi"". Il Mattino (in Italian). Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  48. ↑ "Italian PM Matteo Renzi condemns 'new slave trade' in Mediterranean". BBC News. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  49. ↑ "Migrants' ship headed for Italy capsizes north of Libya". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 April 2015.
  50. ↑ "EU leaders call for emergency talks after 700 migrants drown off Libya". Reuters. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 "Med migrant boat disaster". BBC. 18 April 2015.
  52. ↑ "Europe should back action to protect migrants in Mediterranean: Mogherini". Reuters/Yahoo. 19 April 2015.
  53. ↑ "EU leaders call for emergency talks after 700 migrants drown off Libya". Reuters. 19 April 2015.
  54. ↑ "Prime Minister Matteo Renzi defends Italy's response to migrants drowning in the Mediterranean". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  55. ↑ "Naufraga un pesquero con 700 inmigrantes a bordo cerca de la costa de Libia". Antena3.com. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  56. ↑ "EU's Tusk considers special summit after migrants drown". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  57. ↑ Holehouse, Matthew (19 April 2015). "Nigel Farage: David Cameron 'directly caused' Libyan migrant crisis". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  58. ↑ "Med faces humanitarian crisis, not just wreck, says Renzi". ANSA.it. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  59. ↑ "Mediterranean migrant deaths: PM calls for action after boat disaster". BBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  60. ↑ "European Commission – PRESS RELEASES – Press release – Joint Foreign and Home Affairs Council: Ten point action plan on migration". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  61. ↑ "Two more migrant boats issue distress calls in Mediterranean". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  62. ↑ "Migrants' bodies brought ashore as EU proposes doubling rescue effort". Reuters. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 "EU to triple funding for 'Operation Triton' to tackle Mediterranean migrant crisis". IBT. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  64. ↑ "Up to 700 feared dead after migrant boat sinks off Libya". Reuters.
  65. ↑ "EU faces fury after new migrant shipwreck tragedy". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  66. ↑ "EU: Mediterranean Deaths Warrant Crisis Response". Human Rights Watch. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  67. ↑ "EU should follow Australia's example and send back migrant boats, says Tony Abbott". The Daily Telegraph. 21 April 2015.

External links