The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently initiated a campaign urging Frontex, the European Union’s Border and Coast Guard agency, to leverage its aerial surveillance resources for the timely rescue of vessels in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. Operating alongside EU member states’ border and coast guard services, Frontex plays a crucial role in managing the Schengen Area borders.
Currently, Frontex notifies rescue coordination centers in EU states, as well as Libya and Tunisia, when it detects migrant boats. However, the agency’s communication does not consistently extend to non-governmental rescue entities, nor does it habitually issue emergency alerts to mobilize nearby ships. This oversight has frequently led to interceptions by Libyan and Tunisian coast guards, circumstances which have been associated with human rights violations and maritime tragedies.
The HRW campaign highlights positive outcomes resulting from Frontex sharing the positions of vessels in peril. An instance cited involves an October 14, 2023, operation where a Frontex aircraft reported the coordinates of an overburdened inflatable raft through an open radio channel, facilitating the successful nighttime rescue of 64 people by the MSF’s Geo Barents ship.
HRW recommends further action by Frontex, including the regular dissemination of distress vessel coordinates to NGO rescue ships, increased emergency alert transmissions, and active monitoring and support in distress situations. With the Mediterranean seeing a rise in migrant fatalities—exceeding 30,500 deaths or disappearances over the past decade—the campaign also calls for public awareness and action, pressuring the EU to reassess protocols that defer responsibility to third nations with track records of human rights abuses.
The #WithHumanity campaign appeals for safer and legal migration avenues to Europe, positing that a more humane approach could mitigate the perils associated with crossing treacherous regions like the Sahara Desert and residing in unstable areas such as Libya.