Document Text Contents
Page 1
Lives
adrift
Refugees and migRants in peRil
in the centRal mediteRRanean
Page 2
This report is published as part of
Amnesty International’s S.O.S. Europe campaign.
To find out more visit:
www.sos-europe-amnesty.eu.
First published in 2014 by
Amnesty International Ltd
Peter Benenson House
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DW
United Kingdom
© Amnesty International 2014
Index: EUR 05/006/2014
Original language: English
Printed by Amnesty International,
International Secretariat, United Kingdom
All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may
be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy,
campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale.
The copyright holders request that all such use be registered
with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in
any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications,
or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission
must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be
payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries,
please contact [email protected]
Cover photo: Asylum seekers and migrants from Africa
being rescued at sea and taken aboard an Italian navy ship,
8 June 2014. © Massimo Sestini / eyevine
amnesty.org
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters,
members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign
to end grave abuses of human rights.
Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest
or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations.
Page 44
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Index: EUR 05/006/2014Amnesty International September 2014
B l a c k Se a
North
Sea
Bay of
Biscay
Ionian
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Tyrrhenian
Sea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
B
a l
t i
c
S
e
a
G
u
l f
o
f
B
ot
hn
ia
Gulf of
Fin
land
C
a
s p
i a n Se a
Sea of
Azov
M e d
i
t
e
r
r
a
n
e a n S e a
Strait of Gibraltar
Skage
rra
k
A
dr iatic Sea
Wh
ite
S
ea
Bo
sp
orus
GER MANY
UNITED
KINGDOM
FRANCE
TUNISIA
LIBYA
UKRAINE
ITALY
BELARUS
K
A
Z
A
K
H
S
T
A
N
ROMANIA
TURKEY
GREECE
BULGARIA
AUSTRIA
HUNGARY
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
SPAIN
POLAND
FINLANDSWEDEN
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
CYPRUS
ISRAEL
CROATIA
SLOVENIA
SLOVAKIA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
REP. OF
MOLDOVA
CZECH REP.
MONACO
1
LUXEMBOURG
SAN
MARINO
LIECHTEN-
STEIN
PORTUGAL
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK
ESTONIA
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
GEORGIA
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
Gibraltar
RUSS.
FED.
SERBIA
MONTENEGRO
Crete
Sardinia
Sicily
Balearic Is.
Corsica
Crimea
Nor
dkapp
0
0 500250 750
250 500 mi
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used
on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance
by the United Nations.
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
The former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Members:
Map No. 3976 Rev. 11 UNITED NATIONS
November 2011
Department of Field Support
Cartographic Section
ALGERIAMOROCCO
MALTA
Lampedusa
X
Friday 11 October 2013, approximately 5:00pm:
a trawler carrying over 400 people, mostly Syrian families
including about 150 children, sank 111km from
Lampedusa and 218km from Malta, in Malta’s search
and rescue zone. 212 people were rescued, and about
200 are presumed dead. Only 26 bodies were recovered.
A dispute between Malta and Italy over which country
was responsible for rescuing them may have delayed
rescue operations.
Search and rescue zone of Italy
Search and rescue zone of Malta
Search and rescue zone of Libya
Area currently patrolled by
Italy’s Operation Mare Nostrum
Territorial waters of each state.
Position of the shipwreck
on 11 October 2013
x
Key
Zones of operation in central Mediterranean
Page 45
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Index: EUR 05/006/2014 Amnesty International September 2014
B l a c k Se a
North
Sea
Bay of
Biscay
Ionian
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Tyrrhenian
Sea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
B
a l
t i
c
S
e
a
G
u
l f
o
f
B
ot
hn
ia
Gulf of
Fin
land
C
a
s p
i a n Se a
Sea of
Azov
M e d
i
t
e
r
r
a
n
e a n S e a
Strait of Gibraltar
Skage
rra
k
A
dr iatic Sea
Wh
ite
S
ea
Bo
sp
orus
GER MANY
UNITED
KINGDOM
FRANCE
TUNISIA
LIBYA
UKRAINE
ITALY
BELARUS
K
A
Z
A
K
H
S
T
A
N
ROMANIA
TURKEY
GREECE
BULGARIA
AUSTRIA
HUNGARY
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
SPAIN
POLAND
FINLANDSWEDEN
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
CYPRUS
ISRAEL
CROATIA
SLOVENIA
SLOVAKIA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
REP. OF
MOLDOVA
CZECH REP.
MONACO
1
LUXEMBOURG
SAN
MARINO
LIECHTEN-
STEIN
PORTUGAL
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK
ESTONIA
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
GEORGIA
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
Gibraltar
RUSS.
FED.
SERBIA
MONTENEGRO
Crete
Sardinia
Sicily
Balearic Is.
Corsica
Crimea
Nor
dkapp
0
0 500250 750
250 500 mi
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used
on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance
by the United Nations.
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
The former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Members:
Map No. 3976 Rev. 11 UNITED NATIONS
November 2011
Department of Field Support
Cartographic Section
ALGERIAMOROCCO
MALTA
Lampedusa
X
(other/undetermined 43%) Source: Frontex
Mohammed Kazkji, aged 22 from Damascus,
Syria, pictured in Malta. He survived the
shipwreck of 11 October 2013. His friend Yahea
did not.
©
A
m
n
es
ty
I
n
te
rn
at
io
n
al
©
p
ri
va
te
The Wahid sisters, Randa, 10, Sherihan, 8, Nurhan, 6, and Kristina, 2,
were never found after the shipwreck of 11 October 2013. Their father
Hasan Yousef Wahid, and their mother, Manal Hashash, both Syrians,
have been looking for them since.
130,000
seaborne refugees and migrants irregularly crossing Europe’s southern
border in 2014 as of 15 September. Of these, over 118,000 arrived
in Italy by boat.
Over 2,500
people died at sea in the same period. This means approximately
that one in every 53 people dies.
People who crossed the central Mediterranean
in the first 8 months of 2014 by top nationalities:
Eritrea 23%
Syria 17%
Mali 6%
Nigeria 4%
Gambia 4%
Somalia 3%
“We are hanging on to the hope
that we will find our children.
All we want is to find our daughters,
either dead or alive.”
“Yahea was 22... I cannot look into
the sea, I lost my friend Yahea,
maybe I lost my soul and my mind
in the sea. I hate the sea, I can’t
look at it.”
Page 87
WhetheR in a high-pROfile cOnflict
OR a fORgOtten cORneR Of the
glOBe, amnestY internatiOnaL
campaigns fOR justice, fReedOm
and dignitY fOR all and seeKs tO
galVaniZe puBlic suppORt tO Build
a BetteR WORld
What can YOu dO?
Activists around the world have shown that it is possible to resist
the dangerous forces that are undermining human rights. Be part
of this movement. Combat those who peddle fear and hate.
• Join Amnesty International and become part of a worldwide
movement campaigning for an end to human rights violations.
Help us make a difference.
• Make a donation to support Amnesty International’s work.
together we can make our voices heard.
Please return this form to the Amnesty International office in your country.
For Amnesty International offices worldwide: www.amnesty.org/en/worldwide-sites
If there is not an Amnesty International office in your country, please return this form to:
amnesty international, International Secretariat, Peter Benenson House,
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, United Kingdom
I am interested in receiving further information on becoming a member of
amnesty international
name
Address
Address
email
I wish to make a donation to Amnesty International (donations will be taken in UK£, US$ or €)
Visa MastercardPlease debit my
amount
Number
Expiry date
Signature
i Want
tO heLp
Page 88
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
The EU and its member states are imposing a survival test on
refugees and migrants. Unable to enter the EU through safe
and regular routes, tens of thousands, desperate for asylum and
a better life, attempt to cross the central Mediterranean each
year. In the first nine months of 2014, over 2,500 people died
trying – a new record. This must stop.
Through the testimony of survivors, this report documents
the perils of the journey. It analyzes the long-standing
shortcomings in the search and rescue services provided in
the central Mediterranean and makes recommendations for
their improvement.
Italy’s Operation Mare Nostrum has temporarily papered over
these problems, but it is not a sufficient or durable solution.
An adequately funded and appropriately mandated EU-led
search and rescue operation is urgently needed to fulfil a
shared EU responsibility.
September 2014
Index: EUR 05/006/2014
amnesty.org
Lives
adrift
Refugees and migRants in peRil
in the centRal mediteRRanean
Page 2
This report is published as part of
Amnesty International’s S.O.S. Europe campaign.
To find out more visit:
www.sos-europe-amnesty.eu.
First published in 2014 by
Amnesty International Ltd
Peter Benenson House
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DW
United Kingdom
© Amnesty International 2014
Index: EUR 05/006/2014
Original language: English
Printed by Amnesty International,
International Secretariat, United Kingdom
All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may
be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy,
campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale.
The copyright holders request that all such use be registered
with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in
any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications,
or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission
must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be
payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries,
please contact [email protected]
Cover photo: Asylum seekers and migrants from Africa
being rescued at sea and taken aboard an Italian navy ship,
8 June 2014. © Massimo Sestini / eyevine
amnesty.org
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters,
members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign
to end grave abuses of human rights.
Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest
or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations.
Page 44
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Index: EUR 05/006/2014Amnesty International September 2014
B l a c k Se a
North
Sea
Bay of
Biscay
Ionian
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Tyrrhenian
Sea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
B
a l
t i
c
S
e
a
G
u
l f
o
f
B
ot
hn
ia
Gulf of
Fin
land
C
a
s p
i a n Se a
Sea of
Azov
M e d
i
t
e
r
r
a
n
e a n S e a
Strait of Gibraltar
Skage
rra
k
A
dr iatic Sea
Wh
ite
S
ea
Bo
sp
orus
GER MANY
UNITED
KINGDOM
FRANCE
TUNISIA
LIBYA
UKRAINE
ITALY
BELARUS
K
A
Z
A
K
H
S
T
A
N
ROMANIA
TURKEY
GREECE
BULGARIA
AUSTRIA
HUNGARY
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
SPAIN
POLAND
FINLANDSWEDEN
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
CYPRUS
ISRAEL
CROATIA
SLOVENIA
SLOVAKIA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
REP. OF
MOLDOVA
CZECH REP.
MONACO
1
LUXEMBOURG
SAN
MARINO
LIECHTEN-
STEIN
PORTUGAL
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK
ESTONIA
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
GEORGIA
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
Gibraltar
RUSS.
FED.
SERBIA
MONTENEGRO
Crete
Sardinia
Sicily
Balearic Is.
Corsica
Crimea
Nor
dkapp
0
0 500250 750
250 500 mi
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used
on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance
by the United Nations.
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
The former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Members:
Map No. 3976 Rev. 11 UNITED NATIONS
November 2011
Department of Field Support
Cartographic Section
ALGERIAMOROCCO
MALTA
Lampedusa
X
Friday 11 October 2013, approximately 5:00pm:
a trawler carrying over 400 people, mostly Syrian families
including about 150 children, sank 111km from
Lampedusa and 218km from Malta, in Malta’s search
and rescue zone. 212 people were rescued, and about
200 are presumed dead. Only 26 bodies were recovered.
A dispute between Malta and Italy over which country
was responsible for rescuing them may have delayed
rescue operations.
Search and rescue zone of Italy
Search and rescue zone of Malta
Search and rescue zone of Libya
Area currently patrolled by
Italy’s Operation Mare Nostrum
Territorial waters of each state.
Position of the shipwreck
on 11 October 2013
x
Key
Zones of operation in central Mediterranean
Page 45
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Index: EUR 05/006/2014 Amnesty International September 2014
B l a c k Se a
North
Sea
Bay of
Biscay
Ionian
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Tyrrhenian
Sea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
B
a l
t i
c
S
e
a
G
u
l f
o
f
B
ot
hn
ia
Gulf of
Fin
land
C
a
s p
i a n Se a
Sea of
Azov
M e d
i
t
e
r
r
a
n
e a n S e a
Strait of Gibraltar
Skage
rra
k
A
dr iatic Sea
Wh
ite
S
ea
Bo
sp
orus
GER MANY
UNITED
KINGDOM
FRANCE
TUNISIA
LIBYA
UKRAINE
ITALY
BELARUS
K
A
Z
A
K
H
S
T
A
N
ROMANIA
TURKEY
GREECE
BULGARIA
AUSTRIA
HUNGARY
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTAN
SPAIN
POLAND
FINLANDSWEDEN
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
CYPRUS
ISRAEL
CROATIA
SLOVENIA
SLOVAKIA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
REP. OF
MOLDOVA
CZECH REP.
MONACO
1
LUXEMBOURG
SAN
MARINO
LIECHTEN-
STEIN
PORTUGAL
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK
ESTONIA
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
GEORGIA
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
Gibraltar
RUSS.
FED.
SERBIA
MONTENEGRO
Crete
Sardinia
Sicily
Balearic Is.
Corsica
Crimea
Nor
dkapp
0
0 500250 750
250 500 mi
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used
on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance
by the United Nations.
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
The former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Members:
Map No. 3976 Rev. 11 UNITED NATIONS
November 2011
Department of Field Support
Cartographic Section
ALGERIAMOROCCO
MALTA
Lampedusa
X
(other/undetermined 43%) Source: Frontex
Mohammed Kazkji, aged 22 from Damascus,
Syria, pictured in Malta. He survived the
shipwreck of 11 October 2013. His friend Yahea
did not.
©
A
m
n
es
ty
I
n
te
rn
at
io
n
al
©
p
ri
va
te
The Wahid sisters, Randa, 10, Sherihan, 8, Nurhan, 6, and Kristina, 2,
were never found after the shipwreck of 11 October 2013. Their father
Hasan Yousef Wahid, and their mother, Manal Hashash, both Syrians,
have been looking for them since.
130,000
seaborne refugees and migrants irregularly crossing Europe’s southern
border in 2014 as of 15 September. Of these, over 118,000 arrived
in Italy by boat.
Over 2,500
people died at sea in the same period. This means approximately
that one in every 53 people dies.
People who crossed the central Mediterranean
in the first 8 months of 2014 by top nationalities:
Eritrea 23%
Syria 17%
Mali 6%
Nigeria 4%
Gambia 4%
Somalia 3%
“We are hanging on to the hope
that we will find our children.
All we want is to find our daughters,
either dead or alive.”
“Yahea was 22... I cannot look into
the sea, I lost my friend Yahea,
maybe I lost my soul and my mind
in the sea. I hate the sea, I can’t
look at it.”
Page 87
WhetheR in a high-pROfile cOnflict
OR a fORgOtten cORneR Of the
glOBe, amnestY internatiOnaL
campaigns fOR justice, fReedOm
and dignitY fOR all and seeKs tO
galVaniZe puBlic suppORt tO Build
a BetteR WORld
What can YOu dO?
Activists around the world have shown that it is possible to resist
the dangerous forces that are undermining human rights. Be part
of this movement. Combat those who peddle fear and hate.
• Join Amnesty International and become part of a worldwide
movement campaigning for an end to human rights violations.
Help us make a difference.
• Make a donation to support Amnesty International’s work.
together we can make our voices heard.
Please return this form to the Amnesty International office in your country.
For Amnesty International offices worldwide: www.amnesty.org/en/worldwide-sites
If there is not an Amnesty International office in your country, please return this form to:
amnesty international, International Secretariat, Peter Benenson House,
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, United Kingdom
I am interested in receiving further information on becoming a member of
amnesty international
name
Address
Address
I wish to make a donation to Amnesty International (donations will be taken in UK£, US$ or €)
Visa MastercardPlease debit my
amount
Number
Expiry date
Signature
i Want
tO heLp
Page 88
LIVES ADRIFT
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS IN PERIL
IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
The EU and its member states are imposing a survival test on
refugees and migrants. Unable to enter the EU through safe
and regular routes, tens of thousands, desperate for asylum and
a better life, attempt to cross the central Mediterranean each
year. In the first nine months of 2014, over 2,500 people died
trying – a new record. This must stop.
Through the testimony of survivors, this report documents
the perils of the journey. It analyzes the long-standing
shortcomings in the search and rescue services provided in
the central Mediterranean and makes recommendations for
their improvement.
Italy’s Operation Mare Nostrum has temporarily papered over
these problems, but it is not a sufficient or durable solution.
An adequately funded and appropriately mandated EU-led
search and rescue operation is urgently needed to fulfil a
shared EU responsibility.
September 2014
Index: EUR 05/006/2014
amnesty.org
