UNHCR relieved at disembarkation of rescued persons from Diciotti

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is relieved that the remaining rescued persons on board the Italian coast guard vessel ‘Diciotti’ have now disembarked.

UNHCR commends those countries and organisations that have shown solidarity and given tangible assistance by offering to take in those who remained on board.

UNHCR continues strongly to encourage established and predictable arrangements in the Mediterranean region for the disembarkation of people rescued at sea and urges States rapidly to accelerate efforts to put such an arrangement in place to address this type of situation.

“This needs to be a wake-up call,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “Refugees and asylum-seekers are having their lives put at risk while States continue to engage in political arguments over longer-term solutions. The Diciotti situation is now resolved, but what happens next time? We need a collaborative and reliable European approach towards persons rescued at sea.”

Already in 2018, more than 1,600 people have lost their lives attempting to reach European shores, despite the number of people attempting to cross being significantly reduced compared to previous years. UNHCR stands ready to support States with developing an approach based on saving lives and addressing the root causes of forced displacement.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

• In Geneva: Charlie Yaxley, [email protected], +41 795 808 702
• In Geneva: Babar Baloch, [email protected], +41 227 398 098
• In Rome: Barbara Molinario, [email protected], +39 338 546 29 32