Rescue vessels from civilian relief organisations are hampered from all sides. Now, to be withdrawn from the vessel Aquarius 2 again the flag. Meanwhile, the Dying goes on on the Mediterranean sea.
Only no port was willing to let the rescue ship Aquarius 2 with migrants on Board, skating on ice, and now the ship, chartered by the organization SOS Méditeranée and with the Association Doctors without borders is operated to be withdrawn, for the second Time the flag: In August, the ship had been withdrawn already to the pressure of England the flag of Gibraltar, reported the Bremen ship-owner, Christoph Hempel, at a press conference. Now the Same threat with the Panamanian flag. The Maritime search and rescue and the owners of the Aquarius 2 make Italy responsible for this.
Pressure from Italy to Panama?
Panama had made it clear that Italy had set the country politically and economically under pressure, said Till hype is hollow, Deputy Chairman of the Board of SOS Méditerranée Germany, DW. Italy’s foreign Minister Matteo Salvini of the right-wing Lega denies this. The removal from the Register of the Central American country is but definitely, said Hempel of the shipping company. When the decision is executed is not fixed yet. “I think I still have a week,” he said. For weeks, the Aquarius is now in the port of Marseille. The ship makes a forced break. Representatives of right-wing Identitarian movement have stormed recently, the office of the aid organization SOS Méditeranée in Marseille.
In February 2016 the ship had begun its work in the Mediterranean sea. We have always held to the applicable the law of the sea, said SOS-Mediterranean spokeswoman Jana Ciernioch. However, the situation had changed dramatically for the civilian search and rescue. “The humanitarian space in which we can interact, is becoming smaller and smaller. Without the flag, we are not able to save, she said. “We are currently completely incapable of action.”
Almost 30,000 people has rescued the crew of the Aquarius 2 from Drowning
1500 people drowned
The Aquarius was the largest private search and rescue ship in the Mediterranean, 30,000 people has rescued the crew of the Aquarius in the past two and a half years, from Drowning in the Mediterranean. The helper for a long time have worked closely and in consultation with the Italian authorities.
Italy has made the coordination of search and rescue in the Mediterranean sea to the Libyan coast guard. All the oceans in the world are divided in “search and rescue”-zones, short-SAR-zones. In each Zone, one state has taken the responsibility for the rescue operations. For a long time Rome was the Zone between Libya and Italy, since June, Libya has a separate Zone from the Libyan coast, far out to sea in international waters. This corresponds exactly to the area where most of the refugee boats in distress. 1500 people have already drowned this year on the Mediterranean sea. The EU has funded the training of the coast guard and will invest over the years, around 280 million euros in the construction of the Libyan forces.
SOS – med and other organisations criticise the actions of the Libyan helper the distress centre since then on a regular basis. So are drowned in a meeting of the Libyan coast guard, and the German ship Sea Watch last November, some of the refugees.
“We have not experienced any rescue really, that the Libyan search and rescue is on site, no radio messages or phone calls, so that it is delayed by hours up to, in any way, feedback, come,” said Rummel hollow in an interview with DW. We have also observed that people had been brought from international waters back to the Land from which they had fled and where there is war, he said. The were clearly violations of the law. Some of the Refugees are brought back to Libya. According to the UNHCR, and various search and rescue organizations there are in the country but no safe harbors. The allegations should vote, not to would be Libya of its obligation. “For many, hell,” says Rummel hollow. As in Libya, these people were enslaved and tortured.
Refugees off the coast of Libya: you have to get from the Libyan coast guard help
Hard times for civilian Maritime search and rescue
Since the new Italian government is in Power, the Situation has become for private Maritime search and rescue at sea more complicated. Italy and Malta have banned the non-governmental organizations, the Rescued in their ports to sell. And the EU is beyond more and more the task of the Seetnotrettung and is relying on Libya: After the Sea-Watch 3 and other rescue ships have been set in Malta, arbitrary arrest, and the MS Aquarius was deprived of the flag on political pressure from the Italian government, the Italian Mare Jonio and your escort is currently the only dedicated rescue forces in the area. However, the small vessels, which can afford medical care.
SOS-Meditéranee calls, therefore, for the Federal government to ensure that you will get a new flag. “The Federal government has a clear responsibility to position itself, something it has not done so far little to none at all,” complained spokeswoman Ciernioch. Because without the flag, the ship is not insured and the owner must be liable for it. Although they have already spoken in the parliaments of Switzerland, in Luxembourg, as well as in Venezuela about the possibility of a flag award, said owner Christoph Hempel. But the future of the Aquarius 2 is uncertain. And as long as you and other ships are set, continue to be people drowning in the Mediterranean sea.