How Does the Migrants At Sea Issue Impact Seafarers Following SAR Ops?
The issue of migrants at sea continues to grab world headlines, in order to shed light upon the effect that migrant rescues have on commercial ships a survey is being compiled.
This topic has not been highlighted enough, says Leila Østerbø of soon to be published, Migrant Report, and it is important to inform the public about the impact migrant rescues have on the seafarers, both physically and psychologically, as well as the financial costs of conducting a migrant rescue.
It is important to reveal the work that has been done, not only by volunteer organisations or NGO’s, such as Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) - Doctors Without Borders - but also by commercial ships who play a large part in the rescuing of the migrants.
The dramatic increase in the rescue of migrants, not only in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, but also as far as Spain and Morocco, off Greece in the Aegean Sea, Asian waters, and even in the Black Sea, highlights the growing movement of displaced persons and refugees escaping poverty, abuse, slavery and war. More than 35,000 asylum seekers have arrived on the European continent this year alone.
Whilst a tragedy in itself, and a growing dilemma for European states in accepting and processing the huge influx of people of all ages, the impact on the seafarers, who provide assistance when tasked to conduct search and rescue (SAR) operations, the cost and expense of the diversion of the ship in order to rescue, and thereafter land, the refugees, is undocumented and largely, in a similar manner to the heyday of Somali piracy, are left to their own devices to cope with the unfolding tradegy of human suffering that they come across whilst going about their daily lives.
Frontex, the programme for European border management states that the operational area for Operation Triton will be extended to 138nm south of Sicily, which will see Triton deploy 3 airplanes, 6 Offshore Patrol Vessels, 12 patrol boats, 2 helicopters, 9 debriefing and 6 screening teams during the peak summer season. The secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, Peter Hinchliffe, in talking to IHS Maritime 360 said, "significant problems and solutions for migrant rescue lie further afield than European policy."
The 9-question survey is an opportunity to discover the extent of the possible effects that SAR of migrants has on the seafarer and is anonymously completed. Go to the survey.
For more details or media contact, please email Leila Østerbø: leilaoesterboe@gmail.com
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