On the 9th of June, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a new report on the now infamously named “left-to-die boat”. Fleeing war torn Libya in March 2011, the boat rapidly became disabled and drifted for 15 days, resulting in 63 death. This tragedy raised questions about the role of NATO-led coalition ships operating in the vicinity.
FIDH, with a coalition of migrants’ rights organisations, represented a number of survivors, filing complaints in several countries and actively contributing to the elaboration of this report. Relaying FIDH’s demands, PACE requests member states to fully co-operate by disclosing the location of their vessels during the time the boat was adrift, and the messages their vessels received; grant the right to residence for the survivors whose applications, on humanitarian grounds, are still pending. PACE further encourages member states to adopt concrete measures in order to save more lives at sea, for the creation of safe legal channels for migration and sharing the responsibility for asylum seekers within Europe.
See also: French army to explain actions regarding death of 63 migrants in “left-to-die” boat