UNHCR: Continue sea rescues but safeguard crew

Safety of seafarers an equal priority.

UNHCR: Continue sea rescues but safeguard crew

Girija Shettar

The UN’s refugee agency has told IHS Maritime that it supports continued sea rescues but that the safety of seafarers should be an equal priority for Europe.

A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the agency recognised the considerable “strain” that the current situation in the Mediterranean is placing on the international shipping, and “urged” that the “first priority must be to save lives and protect the safety of migrants, refugees, and the seafarers who are coming to their aid”.

The agency said it did not have the expertise to comment on maritime security measures, but recognised the “commendable” actions of seafarers and coastguard personnel “often in very difficult and dangerous circumstances”.

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Source: ihsmaritime360.com