UN refugee agency official urges EU to prioritise ‘safety’ in Mediterranean amid recent deaths off Greek coast

A UN refugee agency official called on the EU to firmly place safety and solidarity at the forefront of their actions in the wake of the June 14 shipwreck off the coast of Greece which caused the deaths of at least 82 migrants as hundreds more are feared to have drowned, reports Anadolu Agency.

“The EU, its Member States, and all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea must prioritise safety and solidarity as the driving forces behind their actions in the region,” Philippe Leclerc, the Turkiye representative of the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), told Anadolu.

“In view of the increased movements of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean, collective efforts, including greater coordination between all Mediterranean States, solidarity, and responsibility-sharing, as to be reflected in the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum are essential to save lives,” Leclerc added.

“This includes the establishment of an agreed regional disembarkation and redistribution mechanism for people who arrive by sea, which we continue to advocate for,” he said.

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Noting that by the end of 2022, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses stood at a record 108.4 million, up 19.1 million from a year earlier, Leclerc said that this “was the largest ever increase.”

“It includes 35.3 million refugees, 62.5 million internally displaced people, 5.4 million asylum seekers and 5.2 million other people in need of international protection,” he added.

Irregular migrants pushed back – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]