Discussions during IMO Legal Committee 102nd Session
IMO held the 102nd Session of its Legal Committee from 14-16 April 2015 in IMO Headquarters where the issue of unsafe mixed migration by sea considered, following the inter-agency high-level meeting to address the issue, hosted by IMO on 4-5 March 2015.
An intersessional discussion on the study of the current legal regime and gaps that needed to be addressed in order to remedy the drastic situation concerning migrants at sea is to be coordinated by Malta and Italy, with the support of Denmark.
During discussion on the issue, the views expressed included the following:
- the issue of mixed migration was a global problem and search and rescue systems maintained by the shipping community were not designed for rescuing hundreds of thousands of people drifting on small, unseaworthy boats left in shipping lanes;
- the Legal Committee should review the international legal regime dealing with the complex issue of migration by sea and identify gaps that needed to be addressed;
- the issue should also be referred to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), Facilitation Committee (FAL) and the Council as a matter of priority;
- the situation of migrants at sea and search and rescue services in the Mediterranean region was desperate, with urgent action needed.
Find more information about all issues discussed during IMO Legal Committee, 102nd Session by clicking here.
Source: IMO / Image Credit: Stolt Tankers B.V.
