Table of Contents
Investigation Reveals Failures of Frontex and Italian Authorities in Steccato di Cutro Shipwreck
A recent investigation by Lighthouse Reports has shed new light on the tragic events that led to the February shipwreck of Steccato di Cutro, Italy. The shipwreck claimed the lives of at least 94 people, mostly from Afghanistan, despite EU Border Agency Frontex and Italian authorities being aware they were in danger. The investigation provides damning evidence of the failures of Frontex and Italian authorities to carry out their obligations to ensure the safety of refugees and migrants.
Responsibilities and Accountability
Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, stated that Frontex and Italian authorities should be transparent about what went wrong and ensure that lessons are learned and there is accountability for any wrongdoing. The women, men, and children who lost their lives that day, and their loved ones, deserve to know the truth and see justice done. As Geddie highlighted, Frontex and Italian authorities owe that to them.
Shirking Responsibilities
The investigation by Lighthouse Reports provides new details about the information that was available to Frontex and the Italian authorities several hours before the shipwreck, including the bad weather conditions and the likely presence of refugees and migrants below deck. International law imposes obligations on states to ensure the rescue of persons in distress at sea near their coasts. However, Frontex and Italian authorities failed to act, resulting in a preventable tragedy. Amnesty International has previously flagged shortcomings and open questions in relation to the authorities’ response to the incident and made recommendations for urgent review of search and rescue procedures and visa policies.
Externalization of Responsibility
Most of the people aboard the ‘Summer Love’ boat that shipwrecked were from Afghanistan. As Geddie pointed out, while European politicians have been vocal about the horrors inflicted by the Taliban since they took power, they have failed to provide enough safe and regular routes for Afghan people, which forces them to make perilous journeys in search of safety. The EU’s externalization of responsibility for refugees to third countries must give way to policies that focus on rescuing lives at sea and increasing opportunities for safe and regular mobility. Refugee and migrant lives should not be put at risk due to the lack of safe and legal routes to seek asylum.
Lessons and Accountability
It is crucial that Frontex and Italian authorities learn from their failures and take concrete steps to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future. Moreover, they need to be held accountable for their inaction in Steccato di Cutro. The lack of transparency and refusal to acknowledge any responsibility by Italian authorities and Frontex is unacceptable. The EU and its member states have a moral and legal obligation to protect the human rights of refugees and migrants and ensure their safety and security.
Keywords:
- Drowning
- Italy
- Investigation
- Preventable
- Safety
- Water
- Swimming
- Accidents
<< photo by Nathan DeFiesta >>
You might want to read !
- Why G7’s failure to recognize climate emergency could have disastrous consequences
- Rising Cases of Women in Egypt Facing Abuse and Stigma Over Alleged Ties with ISIS
- Greek appeal prolongs detention of refugee rescue workers Seán Binder and Sarah Mardini
- The Human Toll of Iran’s War on Drugs: Prisons Turned Killing Fields with Triple Number of Executions in 2021
- Win for Press Freedom as Australian Court Supports Reporting Military Atrocities in Afghanistan
- How to Remove Nigeria’s Fuel Subsidy Without Exacerbating Poverty
- The Scorching Reality: Migrant Workers in Gulf States Face Life-Threatening Heat
- The Tragic Consequences of Russian Missile Attacks in Ukraine on International Children’s Day
- The Importance of China Acknowledging the Tiananmen Square Massacre
- Bosnia and Herzegovina War Crimes Convictions Mark a Milestone in International Justice
- The Urgency of UN Security Council Action in Sudan
- The Climate Crisis and LGBTQIA2S+ Communities: Exploring Disproportionate Impacts