Mediterranean Refugee NGOs Rebel Against EU 'Code of Conduct'

Charities rescuing asylum-seekers in the Mediterranean Sea expressed outrage this week over the EU's new plan to impose a “code of conduct”.

RELATED:
Far-Right ‘Identitarians’ Plan to Stop Refugee Rescue Boats

On Monday, France, Germany and Italy proposed imposing the measures on groups rescuing stranded migrants crossing from North Africa to Europe.

“There is already a code of conduct, and it's called the international maritime law,” said Ruben Neugebauer, spokesperson for the German charity Sea-Watch.

While the president of the Italian branch of Doctors Without Borders, Loris De Filippi, argued that the aim was to avoid having to address the “real issue...the European Union should be rescuing the migrants, not the charities.”

"If they want to force NGOs to withdraw, there will be more deaths, more tragedies. If that's what they really want, they can just say it honestly," he added.

Oscar Camps, from the Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms tweeted that “The European Union should follow a code of conduct instead”.

According to leaks in the Italian media, the code would force the charity boats to operate with a police officer on board.

It would also prohibit any contact with people traffickers.

Charities have played a growing role in the rescue of migrants, according to Italian authorities.

Since 2015, those operating near the Libyan coast have been responsible for 35 percent of the operations accounted for in 2017 — nine percent more than in 2016.

On Sunday, Italy tried to urge other European countries to open up their ports to rescue ships, in order to share the burden.

The request was declined by France, which said it was "counterproductive."

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, an aide to French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said it risked encouraging more migrants to attempt the trip,  "The idea is to help slow down arrivals of economic migrants at the departure point" while "helping the Italians manage arrivals."

The three nations' interior ministers, who met on Sunday in Paris, agreed to allocate funds for the training of Libya's coast guard instead.

More than 83,000 people have been rescued and brought to Italy so far this year after attempting the crossing from Libya.

While more than 2,160 have died trying, according to the UN and the International Organization for Migration.