Other migrant tragedies at sea could have gone unreported - PM

Prime Minister Muscat calls for clear rules of engagement • Video by Ray Attard

The horrific accounts of last weekend’s tragedy as relayed by survivors may have not been a first in the Mediterranean sea but there could have similar cases which were never reported or made known, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

Five hundred persons are thought to have lost their lives in a sea tragedy that occurred 300 nautical miles south east of Malta. According to the International Organisation for Migration, if the survivors’ accounts are verified, the deaths of the migrants would have been a mass murder.

Survivors said the smugglers used a second boat to sink the vessel after a violent clash with the migrants. The smugglers had asked the migrants to 'jump' onto a much smaller craft, but many refused. The smugglers, in the other boat proceeded to ram the migrants' vessel and sink it.

Those who tried latching on to the boat had their hands chopped off.

“What we heard from these survivors are genuine testimonials which confirm that these traffickings are led by a criminal network. There must be a clampdown on these criminal networks, because like both the UNHCR and IOM said, this was murder,” Muscat said.

The Prime Minister, in comments to journalists, said this tragedy could be one of several others which went unreported or remained unknown.

Muscat reiterated that it was clear more than ever that the securitisation of Libya is necessary if these criminal gangs are to be stopped. Without the proper rule of law in the North African country, the criminal gangs will not stop.

For the past year and a half, the government has been calling for a UN intervention which may not necessarily mean boots on the ground but assistance in building security. This, Muscat insisted, would only work if the different factions are brought together and the people of Libya are involved in the intervention.

The Prime Minister is set to meet the European Commissioner-designate for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos. Muscat suggested that Avramopoulos could take on a new approach to the migration issue given that he has “a different perspective” from his predecessor.

Ever since Italy launched humanitarian operation Mare Nostrum, assisted by Malta’s limited resources, thousands of lives were saved by the Italian authorities. The Italian government has been putting pressure on the EU for Mare Nostrum to be replaced by Frontex Plus. But this is as yet to be seen as outgoing Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Frontex Plus – or whatever it will be called – will not replace Mare Nostrum.

The Italian operation costs €10 million a month.

Muscat insisted that no border operation will work if the required maritime and aerial assets are not provided. He also called for clear rules of engagement.

“I am not enthusiastic about the type of assets available,” he said, adding that simply increasing the monetary funds available will not help.