This is the responsibility of the national rescue coordination centers,” it said. “Frontex does not coordinate search and rescue operations. Officials in Athens say the passengers refused any help and insisted on proceeding to Italy, adding that it would have been too dangerous to try and evacuate hundreds of unwilling people off an overcrowded ship.įrontex said that it planned to cooperate fully with the investigation.Īnd it clarified its role in any search and rescue mission. Greece has been widely criticized for not trying to save the migrants before the sinking in international waters. So far, 82 bodies have been recovered and hundreds of people are missing. “A tragedy of this magnitude requires all those involved to reflect on their responsibilities and to be clear to the public who is accountable for these deaths," O'Reilly said.Īs many as 750 people may have been on board the migrant ship that sank in the Mediterranean on June 14, and just over 100 people survived the shipwreck. Key questions raised by the tragedy include to what extent the EU’s Frontex agency could have been more involved in the rescue, what exactly did it communicate to Greek authorities and what level of responsibility, if any, the agency has for the shipwreck. Now, EU ombudsman Emily O'Reilly wants her investigation to make clear to the public “who is accountable for these deaths” as Frontex has unclear jurisdiction and limits to its authority over member states like Greece when it comes to addressing the needs of those in distress on the high seas. Migrant crossings in unseaworthy boats organized by human traffickers from North Africa have spiked this year, with massive losses of life. BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union's official watchdog said Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into the role of the bloc's Frontex border agency in the tragedy off Greece last month that is feared to have killed hundreds of people in the Mediterranean Sea.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |