Merchant vessels rescued some 40,000 migrants from capsized or unseaworthy boats in the Mediterranean Sea last year, as thousands of desperate people from North Africa and the Middle East embarked on dangerous and risky crossings to start new lives in Europe.
Merchant ships that ply the busy Mediterranean shipping lanes have been on the front lines of this humanitarian crisis as lifesavers, often diverted from their routes to perform risky search-and-rescue (SAR) operations that they are ill-equipped to handle safely.
On April 19, about 850 lost their lives in the sea between Libya and Italy — believed to be the deadliest incident ever recorded of migrants fleeing by sea to Europe — when their rickety, overloaded boat collided with the King Jacob, a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship that responded to the distress signal and was trying to help. Apparently the captain of the small boat erred and steered too close to the big ship. The King Jacob was able to rescue 28 people after the boat capsized.
This incident is just one of many similar tragic events. In 2014, of the 200,000 people rescued in the Mediterranean, about 40,000 were saved by 800 merchant ships, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Single ships saved as many as 500 people at a time. The Wall Street Journal reported that Maersk rescued 1,100 people in four different operations, while helping out in another six.
But press reports say that while the shipping industry fully accepts its legal responsibility to help anyone in distress at sea, cargo vessels are ill-equipped and ill-prepared to do so. Large-scale rescue operations pose serious risks to mariners, who are not trained lifesavers. With crews of less than 20, and often carrying hazardous cargoes, cargo ships are ill prepared to rescue, feed, and house large numbers of people, with many in need medical care. In addition, there are big costs to diverting ships from their routes, with estimates upwards of $500,000 per ship, and it’s unclear whether rescue missions are covered by a ship’s insurance policy.
Although doing its part to help, the shipping industry doesn’t want to be seen as an answer to the problem. Rescues should be performed by professional SAR services, and industry leaders say that European governments have failed to provide enough resources to deal with the crisis. Many governments, such as the U.K., fear that providing too much support will encourage more migrants to make the perilous journey to Europe.
Italy closed its effective yet expensive Mare Nostrum SAR program in November when it became politically unpopular. Operation Triton, a more modest and less effective border patrol mission that had limited mandates and resources to save lives, replaced it.
The European shipping industry isn’t happy, saying SAR resources, including coast guard and other vessels, must be scaled up, not back. But this won’t likely happen soon. In the meantime, cargo vessel operators are bracing for an ever-expanding role as lifesavers at sea.
