The state in which the ship is in port rescuing people at sea humanitarian organization, in certain cases, has the right to control it for compliance with the requirements in the field of safety, health protection and environmental protection, the European Court of Justice (EuGH) considers. To conduct control, it is necessary to have reliable signs of a threat, said the court in Luxembourg on Monday, August 1, announcing the decision on the dispute between the German charity Sea Watch and Italian justice.
At the same time, the European Court stressed the obligation to save people in distress at sea.
Detention of two ships in the ports of Sicily
It was about a lawsuit related to the detention in the summer of 2020 in two ports of Sicily ships Sea Watch 3 and Sea Watch 4, flying under the flags of Germany. The Italian authorities justified their actions by the fact that the ships were unsuitable for accommodating several hundred people on board. In response, the organization complained to the regional court of Sicily about the detention, indicating that its ships had already received certification in Germany. According to Sea Watch, by detaining the ships, Italy violated European law. The Italian court, in turn, asked EuGH to interpret EU law in this case.
After the decision of the European Court, the court in Italy must make its decision. In doing so, he is obliged to take into account the legal opinion of the judges in Luxembourg.
AT mediterranean sea there are no state rescue missions. Private organizations are involved in helping refugees trying to reach Europe. The authorities of Malta have not allowed rescue ships to enter its ports for several years. In Italy, obtaining such a permit often takes many days.
See also:
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
“Outrageous Case”
Mediterranean Sea. On the water, among the wreckage of an inflatable rescue boat, are the corpses of a woman and a child. They are refugees from Africa who tried to reach the shores of Europe, but found their death at sea through the fault of the Libyan coast guard. Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), called the incident a “egregious case”.
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
A hair’s breadth from death
This woman is lucky. Rescuers of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms literally fished her out of the sea. Apparently, she was left to die by soldiers of the Libyan Coast Guard – after she refused to return with them to Libya.
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
How volunteer lifeguards work
Captain Mark Reig Kreus and rescue mission leader Anabel Montes are trying to locate the inflatable boat. Activists from the non-governmental organization Proactiva Open Arms have suspicions that it could be a ship with refugees on board.
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
Looking into the distance and patiently waiting
Esther Kamps, a member of the Proactiva Open Arms volunteer rescue team, is using huge binoculars to look for people in distress in the sea. Just a few days ago, a rescue team found a damaged inflatable boat in the Mediterranean Sea and pulled a woman out of the water. It was no longer possible to help another woman and child; at the time of discovery by rescuers, both were dead.
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
Left for dead
Rescuers wrapped the bodies of the dead in plastic wrap. “The Libyan Coast Guard said they found a boat with 158 refugees on board,” wrote human rights organization founder Oscar Kamps on Twitter. “But they kept silent about leaving two women and one child on board after they refused to switch to Libyan ship and then sank the boat.”
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Refugee Route to Europe: Last Stop – Mediterranean Sea
On the way to Spain
Tragic rescue story ends: Proactiva Open Arms ship moves towards Spanish port. How the fate of a woman who miraculously escaped death will turn out is not yet known.
Author: Nermin Ismail
