Published 04:14 IST, August 30th 2020
UN urges for urgent rescue of refugees from Banksy ship, two others in Mediterranean
UN agencies have called for safe disembarkation of more than 400 refugees, who are currently on board of three vessels in the Central Mediterranean.
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The United Nations' Human Rights body and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have called for safe disembarkation of more than 400 refugees, who are currently on board of three vessels in the Central Mediterranean.
The UN agencies issued a joint statement on August 29, calling for urgent transfer of these refugees to dry land. The agencies also said that lack of agreement on a regional disembarkation mechanism cannot be an excuse to deny vulnerable people a port of safety and the assistance they need.
'Delays could jeopardise safety'
Over 400 migrants are currently stuck on three different vessels, Louise Michel, Sea-Watch 4, and Maersk Etienne. Louise Michel, which is funded by British street artist Banksy, is alone holding over 200 people, more than its safe carrying capacity.
The UN agency for migrants said, "Any delays could jeopardise the safety of all people on board, including its crew members." Some 200 people are on board another NGO-funded vessel Sea-Watch 4, which the agencies said should be provided with a safe port.
More than 400 refugees and migrants on #MVLouiseMichel #SeaWatch4 and #MaerskEtienne must be allowed to disembark.
— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) August 29, 2020
A mechanism based on cooperation between states would avoid these situations always and unnecessarily becoming human and political crises. https://t.co/DrCoqpTKDR
Banksy, who is known for being anonymous, posted a video of his rescue vessel on Instagram, criticising EU authorities for turning a blind eye on the crisis. The video of people being rescued with the help of the former French Navy boat also has a message at the end that reads, "All Black Lives Matter".
Meanwhile, some 27 people who had departed from Libya have been aboard a commercial vessel Maersk Etienne since being rescued on August 5. Describing the situation as "unacceptable", the UN agencies stressed that a commercial tanker "cannot be considered a suitable place to keep people in need of humanitarian assistance or those who may need international protection", adding that "appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures can be implemented once they reach dry land."
The UN agencies also expressed concern about what they described as the continued absence of dedicated EU-led search and rescue capacity in the Central Mediterranean.
"With relatively fewer NGO vessels compared to previous years, the gap is being increasingly filled by commercial vessels. It is vital that they are permitted to disembark rescued passengers promptly, as, without such timely processes, shipmasters of commercial vessels may be deterred from attending to distress calls for fear of being stranded at sea for weeks on end," the agencies said.
04:13 IST, August 30th 2020