UNHCR chief Guterres and Angelina Jolie warn of mounting crisis in the Mediterranean
Their call came during a visit to the naval rescue headquarters in Malta, on a weekend in which new deadly boat sinkings were reported off Egypt and Libya.
GENEVA, September 15 (UNHCR) - UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie have called for increased efforts by European nations to contribute to the rescue of irregular migrants in peril on the high seas and warned about the scale of the crisis in the Mediterranean.
Their call came during a visit on Sunday to the naval rescue headquarters in Malta, on a weekend in which new boat sinkings were being reported off Egypt and Libya claiming more innocent lives. A UNHCR press release said Jolie and Guterres met three survivors of one of the tragedies, who had been rescued by a commercial vessel and brought to Malta by the Maltese authorities.
In the Maltese capital of Valletta, Jolie also visited Syrian refugee families who survived a similar devastating boat tragedy last October. They included a couple from Damascus whose three small children perished during the crossing, and a doctor from Aleppo whose wife and three-year-old daughter drowned. Half of those arriving in Europe by boat are refugees from Syria and Eritrea.
Guterres and Jolie thanked the naval authorities for their part in successful rescue operations that have saved many lives. More than 2,500 people have drowned or gone missing attempting the Mediterranean crossing this year alone, including over 2,200 since the start of June.
"We all need to wake up to the scale of this crisis," Jolie stressed. "There is a direct link between the conflicts in Syria and elsewhere and the rise in deaths at sea in the Mediterranean. We have to understand what drives people to take the fearful step of risking their children's lives on crowded, unsafe vessels; it is the overwhelming desire to find refuge."
The actress added that the situation in the Mediterranean was part of a bigger problem of soaring numbers of people displaced by conflicts around the world. "Unless we address the root causes of these conflicts the numbers of refugees dying or unable to find protection will continue to rise," she stressed.
Some 130,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, more than double the 60,000 recorded in 2013. Italy has received over 118,000 arrivals, most of them rescued at sea by Italy under its naval operation, Mare Nostrum.
As the European Union and member states search for a better framework for responding to the worsening situation in the Mediterranean, Guterres said: "We don't have many chances to get this right. Europe's response needs to be a truly collective effort, one that offers safer ways to find protection while maintaining a strong capacity to rescue people at sea. If it fails, many more lives will be lost at Europe's doorstep."
As part of a package based on solidarity and responsibility sharing amongst states, UNHCR is calling for legal, safe alternatives for those fleeing conflict and persecution, so that they are not forced to attempt the crossing into Europe by sea, including resettlement, admission based on humanitarian needs, private sponsorship schemes, facilitated access to family reunification and the use of programmes such as student or employment visas.
Related news and stories
Joint Statement by UNHCR and Angelina Jolie
UNHCR Special Envoy, Ms. Angelina Jolie Statement to the High-Level Pledging Event on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie calls for protection and support for the people of Yemen, and an end to the conflict to stop human suffering
Remarks by UNHCR Special Envoy, Ms. Angelina Jolie, on World Refugee Day
Angelina Jolie marks World Refugee Day with refugees in Burkina Faso
Statement by UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie as Venezuelan refugees and migrants top 4 million
Your search for « Malta » matched 1273 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 9 of 112 pages.
-
Statement of the Sovereign Order of Malta to thematic discussion five panel two
15 Nov 2017 ... In reply to this question, the Sovereign Order of Malta, in its capacity as a signatory and ... The Order of Malta therefore encourages States to recognize FBOs as a crucial actor in the ...... -
UNHCR Global Strategy Beyond Detention: Progress Report 2018
Feb 2019 ... ... Malta ......Indonesia, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2012 - Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe subregional overview
1 Jun 2013 ... Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands (the) Norway Poland ... and similar research was underway in Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Nordic and Baltic countries. ...... -
Detention
... Czech Republic, FYR of Macedonia, Japan, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Republic of South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ...... -
Donate to UNHCR
... Macau Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of ...... -
General debate - Statements as made available
... Honduras 123. Eritrea 124. Mauritania 125. Tunisia 126. Oman 127. African Union 128. Sovereign Order of Malta 129. International Organization for Migration 130. International Labour Organization 131. ...... -
General debate - Statements as made available
... Organisation of Islamic Cooperation 132. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 133. Sovereign Order of Malta 134. United Nations Development Programme 135. Mercy Corps, ...... -
High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, 2014
... ... Century. Opening Panel on "Boat People in the twenty-first Century" UNHCR: Looking for Safe Shores Malta: Dying at Europe's Doorstep Italy: Desperate Rescue at Sea Italy: Haunted by a Sinking Ship... -
General debate - Statements as made available
... Cooperation 128. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 129. Sovereign Order of Malta 130. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS 131. United Nations Children's Fund 132. ......