Imagine days of this and no help…
Mama and I are in tears over the 800 immigrants who paid 1000 dollars each to get out of their dangerous lives and died at sea last week. The wonderful Italians tried to instigate Mare Nostrum, a system that saved any boat in danger and then dealt with the problem on land after saving the people aboard.
The International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue states the obligation on “State Parties” to “ensure that assistance be provided to any person in distress at sea…regardless of the nationality or status of such a person or the circumstanes in which that person is found.”
That says it all but there are those, mama told me, such as the captain of an American warship, Alexander Balian, who did not come to sufficient aid of Vietnamese immigrants fleeing the communist takeover in 1988, and who was taken off his command and court-martialled for not giving adequate assistance to the passengers when he had the opportunity.
Imagine the terror of “boat people” with no food, water or protection from elements.
Unimaginable to this kitty.
Syrians, Eritreans, Somalians, Senegalese, Gambians and Sudanese among others are only searching for a better life, a safe life, hoping that Europe can offer a hand. The death rate this year “for Mediterranean boat people was ten times higher than it was for the same period a year ago. Now it is thirty times higher, and that increase is attributable to Europe‘s dereliction of duty.” (The New Yorker, Philip Gourevitch)
I am sick at heart for the boat people and for their plight. But the Italians are once again trying to instigate Mare Nostrum. Thank you, Italy.
This kitty remembers the lovely Eritreans who went to church down the street from us in Rome. Their haunting drumming began early Sunday morning and then the chanting began, a wondrous beginning of the day for all of us nearby. Mama made friends with them eventually, but she says they were wary of us in the beginning. When they saw that we posed no threat, they were cordial and polite, but still reserved.
Perhaps they were remembering how so many of their people arrived in Italy.
Or those who did not.
Those poor people. How sad.
Well, the Mare Nostrum prototype is being re-instigated on the Mediterranean and let’s hope it works. Some ships simply turn off their radios so they won’t receive calls for help. Imagine….
Loulou, this is so well put. It’s so, so sad and beyond horrific. The UK is refusing to support a return to using “search and Rescue” Idiot selfish apes don’t realise how much these poor folks can nourish cultures. We have a vile idiot called Katie Hopkins who has a column in a scummy Murdock owned tabloid “The Sun” She writes that these people are cockroaches and has nothing but hate for them (er, and everyone else) The awful thing is that the UK populace believe this hate mongering and scorn these desperate people.
Our current method of dealing with asylum seekers is to throw them into abusive detention centres and leave them for years without support (or kindness)
We ain’t too keen on our country right now
Luff
Mungo & Jet
So interesting. The UK? I thought the UK was more careful, read full of care, for its immigrants, but I see it is not. And yet, so many Indians and Pakistanis have emigrated to the UK.
Countries change. Look at our USA—right wing across the middle and only on the coasts do you find liberal thinking about immigrants and emigrees BUT ALL AMERCANS CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
How sad that anyone would have to flee their homeland and die at sea. 🙁
Their ‘homelands’ are no homes for anyone, and seventeen villas for the head of one of the African countries whose people flee. SEVENTEEN VILLAS.