Amnesty International call for action in the Mediterranean to save refugees

Amnesty International supporters were zipped into body bags on Portobello Beach this afternoon. The stunt was intended to bring attention to the lack of action on the part of the UK Government about the migrants in the Mediterranean many of whom have drowned in recent days. 

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The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

“What we witnessed this week in Brussels was a face-saving not a life-saving operation. All the words and resources being thrown at this problem suggest that EU leaders are being serious about saving lives at sea. But the reality is they are still only meeting the problem halfway.

“Unless they go the extra mile, migrants and refugees will continue to drown and Europe will have again failed shamefully – to deal with this tragedy on its doorstep. If Triton can’t be changed, then Triton is not the solution, however many resources one gives it.” 

The announcement of increased funding and assets towards existing European Union (EU) border control operations, including Operation Triton, came at the end of an emergency summit in Brussels on the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean on Thursday. 

Amnesty believe that planned tripling of finances towards Triton will not address the reality of the search and rescue needs in the Mediterranean unless the operational area is extended to the high seas where most of the deaths occur.