The NGO Sea Watch has launched an online petition asking Germany to pressure Europe to bring in a humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean and greater monitoring of the Libyan Coastguard with regard to its migrant search and rescue operations.
The online petition launched by Sea Watch calls for a humanitarian search and rescue mission for migrants in the Mediterranean as well as increased monitoring of the Libyan Coastguard's compliance with regulations. The organization would like to see a suspension of EU collaboration with the Libyan Coastguard if human rights are repeatedly violated. The Sea Watch petition also calls on Germany to commit to raising awareness in Europe about respect for human rights in rescue missions for migrants at sea.
"The European Union has been training this very same Libyan Coastguard for the last few months and supplied it with 200 million euros. The focus of European support is not, however, on an improvement of the situation of migrants and refugees in need. On the contrary: illegal push-backs and armed violence have become everyday occurrences off the Libyan coast and fit into the European paradigm of isolation", writes Sea-Watch on its website. "We demand that the German government reject further militarization and isolation, and instead use its influence within the EU as much as possible" to promote "a civil humanitarian mission with the explicit mandate for rescue at sea".
Cooperation with Libya to be put on hold
The petition also asks that "all cooperation with the Libyan Coastguard (LCG) be contingent on a system of monitoring and sanctions which will ensure compliance with international law off the Libyan coast". The campaign also wants that "the cooperation with the LCG be immediately put on hold in the case of repeated human rights violations", and that "the LCG be trained to follow the rules of the high seas in order to support rescue missions, instead of endangering refugees and migrants as well as civil rescue operation".
In addition, the NGO wants "the plans for a new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Libya be halted. It is unacceptable to abdicate control over rescue missions to a land in the grip of civil war where the rule of law is in no way present".
Appeal to Germany to change Europe
The Sea Watch petition has thus far collected over 10,450 signatures and has a target of 12,000. The NGO is one of those providing search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. "The European policy of isolation has the aim of preventing those with a right to protection from violence and torture from reaching Europe. The situation in the Mediterranean is escalating daily, partly because the coastguard trained by the EU acts ever more aggressively", continued Sea Watch.
"What is required to end the humanitarian crisis at the borders of Europe is an EU-mandate for a non-military rescue system. We need a clear recognition of maritime rescue from Europe, and we need it from you, Mrs. Merkel!," the petition states.