Tag: migrants

UN says up to 300 dead in migration tragedy

A guide to principles and practice as applied to refugees and migrants The updated and revised Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice as applied to refugees and migrants is now available.It has been prepared jointly by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It provides guidance on relevant legal provisions, on practical procedures to ensure the prompt disembarkation of rescued persons, and on measures to meet their specific needs, particularly in the case of refugees and asylum-seekers. You can read the revised guide by clicking on the image below:You can also read the following related articles:ICS issues guidelines for Large Scale Rescue Operations at SeaRescue of migrants at sea is an obligation ICS saysIOM Investigates Reports of Deliberate Drowning of 500 Migrants in MediterraneanGuide to principles and practice as applied to migrants and refugeesRecommendations for encountering distressed persons at sea in MediterraneanIMO, UN in joint statement on protection at sea in the 21st centurySource and Image Credit: IMO

EU calls for more effort to loss of life at sea

The UN refugee agency last week warned that the international community was losing its focus on saving lives amid confusion among coastal nations and regional blocs over how to respond to the growing number of people making risky sea journeys in search of asylum or migration.

ICS called on governments to address the growing refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean

Address the problem of serious human rights violations affecting migrants Large Scale Rescue(Image CreditTORM A/S)The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has joined with other UN agencies in calling for concerted action from the international community to address the deeply concerning problem of the loss of life, injury, trauma and serious human rights violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees traveling by sea. In a joint statement, IMO, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that closer cooperation between States of origin, transit and destination, and other relevant actors, was critical to reducing loss of life at sea, addressing the drivers of dangerous sea journeys, as well as ensuring that responses by States upon arrival and disembarkation uphold human rights and dignity, and address specific needs for protection of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. Such cooperation is also critical to identifying, prosecuting and punishing the criminal gangs who are responsible for human rights abuses and for arranging sea transportation in breach of all safety regulations, the statement said, noting that while the ...

IMO, UN in joint statement on protection at sea in the 21st century

The challenges involved in rescuing large numbers of people ICS Guidance on Large Scale Rescue Operations at Sea cover(Image Credit: ICS)In response to the continuing crisis in the Mediterranean, necessitating commercial ships to rescue tens of thousands of migrants and refugees during 2014, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published new free of charge "Guidance on Large Scale Rescue Operations at Sea".ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe explained: The shipping industry fully accepts its humanitarian obligation to assist anyone at sea whose vessel is in distress. But the scale of the crisis involving thousands of people attempting to get to Europe in craft that are neither fit for purpose nor seaworthy has raised real concerns about the safety and health of ships crews that may be involved in rescuing as many as 200 people at a time.The challenges involved in rescuing large numbers of people and then accommodating them on board ship prior to disembarkation are enormous compared to conventional rescue operations.Large Scale Rescue 1(Image Credit TORM A/S)The ICS Guidelines are therefore intended to help shipping companies prepare for this eventuality, whilst taking full of account of the safety and security of the ship should such large scale rescues be ...

SRI concerns about reports of reduced resources for SAR in the Mediterranean Sea

Recommendations for encountering distressed persons at sea in Mediterranean