Does Europe have a responsibility to rescue migrants? Refugees fleeing war are dying in the Mediterranean, but politicians say rescue ships encourage smugglers and make the situation worse.
Banksy funds boat to rescue Med migrants
Does Europe have a responsibility to rescue migrants? Refugees fleeing war are dying in the Mediterranean, but politicians say rescue ships encourage smugglers and make the situation worse.
When captain Pia Klemp opened her email, she assumed it was a prank. "You sound like a badass," the message read. "I am an artist from the UK and I've made some work about the migrant crisis, obviously I can't keep the money. Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Well done. BanksyThe British street artist is known for his subversive stencil graffiti, which has appeared in public spaces across the world. Because graffiti is illegal, he hides his identity and works in secret.."
But the street artist was not joking, and this month, his new boat set sail for the Mediterranean. Bright pink and decorated with Banksy artwork, the Louise MichelThe boat is named after a 19th-century French anarchist and the mission is described as feminist, with only female crew members allowed to speak in the name of the ship. has been picking up migrants and refugees making the perilous crossing from North Africa to Europe.
The UN's refugee agency says the migrant crisis has worsened this year, as people flee countries hit by the economic impact of Covid-19 and as the Libyan civil warThe instability in Libya has made it a major route for migrants and a hub for people smugglers. According to a 2018 report, one in five migrants attempting to reach Europe from Libya drown or disappear. rumbles on. So far, almost 20,000 people have survived the journey, paying smugglers for places on unseaworthy and crowded dinghies. At least 500 have drowned.
Until last year, the EU kept ships in the Mediterranean to take migrants off these dangerous boats. This was called Operation Sophia and between 2015 and 2019 it rescued 50,000 people. But public opinion towards migrants has grown hostile and populist leaders have argued that these rescue operations only encourage migration.
So refugees must rely on ships like the Louise Michel, run by charities and funded by donors like Banksy. One refugee rescued by a Sea-WatchA German non-governmental organisation (NGO) that deploys rescue ships in the Mediterranean. ship last year explained they follow the charities on social media and "wouldn't risk it" without them. But if their boat is intercepted by the Libyan coastguard, they will be taken back to "hell" and the "detention camps in Libya."
Klemp also risks imprisonment. Italy accuses the rescue ships of human trafficking and helping smugglers. If convicted a captain could face up to 20 years in jail.
Meanwhile, migrants have tested positive for Covid-19 in Italian camps and the governor of Sicily says the migration crisis is now "a matter of public order and health." He has closed refugee centres on the island and rescue ships have been turned away from Italian ports.
In Malta, private boats are shipping people back to Libya and angry crowds have stopped migrants from landing on Greek islands. Sending refugees back to a warzone is illegal under international law, but a recent investigation alleges Greek officials are rounding up refugees and abandoning them in boats off the Turkish coast.
The Greek prime minister denies the accusations and says his migrant policy is "tough but fair." However, human rights lawyer Francois Crepeau says it is a "humanitarian disaster" and that authorities have been taking advantage of the pandemic "to close national borders to whoever they've wanted."
As the Louise Michel sails into this crisis, the argument rages over whether rescue operations encourage migration, or whether stopping them will lead to more deaths. Ultimately, argues Felix Weiss of Sea-Watch, this is a European problem, and "there has to be a European solution."
<h5 class="eplus-fUBDi2">So, does Europe have a responsibility to rescue migrants?</h5>
Some say no, this is well-meaning but naive activism. By rescuing boats off the coast of North Africa, Banksy's ship only makes the crisis worse. Smugglers will no longer try to get to Europe, only to the rescue ships. More people will risk this hazardous journey and many more will die. Europe should encourage them to stay and make it possible for them to seek asylum without risking their lives.
Others say yes, this is Europe's responsibility. People do not get into a leaky raft to cross a sea unless they are desperate. Making that journey more dangerous by not coming to their aid is inhumane and morally wrong. Migrants strive to reach Europe because they see it as a beacon of humanity, security and prosperity. By letting them drown, Europe fails to live up to these ideals.
Banksy - The British street artist is known for his subversive stencil graffiti, which has appeared in public spaces across the world. Because graffiti is illegal, he hides his identity and works in secret.
Louise Michel - The boat is named after a 19th-century French anarchist and the mission is described as feminist, with only female crew members allowed to speak in the name of the ship.
Libyan civil war - The instability in Libya has made it a major route for migrants and a hub for people smugglers. According to a 2018 report, one in five migrants attempting to reach Europe from Libya drown or disappear.
Sea-Watch - A German non-governmental organisation (NGO) that deploys rescue ships in the Mediterranean.
Banksy funds boat to rescue Med migrants

Glossary
Banksy - The British street artist is known for his subversive stencil graffiti, which has appeared in public spaces across the world. Because graffiti is illegal, he hides his identity and works in secret.
Louise Michel - The boat is named after a 19th-century French anarchist and the mission is described as feminist, with only female crew members allowed to speak in the name of the ship.
Libyan civil war - The instability in Libya has made it a major route for migrants and a hub for people smugglers. According to a 2018 report, one in five migrants attempting to reach Europe from Libya drown or disappear.
Sea-Watch - A German non-governmental organisation (NGO) that deploys rescue ships in the Mediterranean.