Given the upheaval in Libya, as well as countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, an increasing number of people will likely seek safety by crossing the Mediterranean and other sea and land borders throughout the region. Already in recent weeks, more than 5,000 boat people have arrived to the Italian island of Lampedusa from Tunisia; some 32,000 boat people arrived to that same island in 2008—before governments in the region abruptly cut off departures from North Africa.

“The current situation must be recognized as a humanitarian crisis,” says ICMC Secretary General, Johan Ketelers. “It is essential that transparent procedures and mechanisms of protection be immediately put into place for all those fleeing violence and turmoil in the region. This cannot be left to countries of arrival alone, and calls for coordinated support and solidarity.”

To fulfill obligations under international refugee and human rights law, it is essential that proper differentiation procedures replace automatic expulsion from national territories; that the necessary logistics are foreseen and organized to efficiently deal with the arrivals; that the European Union (EU) and other reception standards are respected; and that vulnerable people and those suffering trauma receive assistance rather than be forced into detention centres.

All arrivals have the right to first aid and emergency assistance to address urgent medical and psychological trauma. All then have a further right to careful screening to identify who among them is entitled to protection and/or further specific assistance—long-term as well as temporary. In the case of the 32,000 who arrived on Lampedusa in 2008, more than half were identified as eligible for legal protection under Italian and international refugee law.

In situations of sudden or large arrivals, regional responses are needed, as well as approaches centred on responsibility-sharing and multi-actor engagement, including that of NGOs.

• Responsibility-sharing. In current contexts, it is understandable for the Mediterranean states of the EU to request support from the EU. ICMC calls for a coordinated approach, which upholds core EU values of protection, humanitarian response and solidarity.

• The multi-actor approach has been advanced through the “Praesidium project,” developed with funding from the EU and the government of Italy. The project has brought the Italian Ministry of Interior to collaborate with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the Italian Red Cross and Save the Children - Italy to provide first aid, differentiation and protection and assistance to those arriving on Italian shores, including on Lampedusa.

• Building regional responses, as seen through the “DRIVE Referral” project (Differentiation for Refugee Identification and Vulnerability Evaluation), also funded by the EU. DRIVE has brought together ICMC and seven NGOs in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain to build a regional Mediterranean network for the survey and exchange of good practice, analysis of gaps, and formulation of policy recommendations for practical cooperation among States, international organizations and NGOs in order to improve responses when boat people arrive.

“Ad hoc emergency responses are not sufficient,” observes Alice Bloomfield, Coordinator of the DRIVE project. “Recent events have clearly shown, once again, that outbreaks of violence, negative economic processes and simple despair continuously drive people to search for safety, new opportunities and a more secure future.”

“The response,” she notes, “cannot only be deploying immigration guards at the border, or the immediate detention of all arrivals—which only serve to increase the migrants’ vulnerabilities. Long-term procedures and mechanisms are needed that respect both human dignity and human rights obligations, and are both transparent and consistent.”

“This includes taking up a comprehensive, sustainable approach that combines international cooperation and good governance in support of genuine long-term stability, human development and jobs for people at home to ensure that people can more freely exercise their right not to migrate if they so choose.”

Fleeing turmoil in North Africa: Need for shared regional response and protection urgent (385.62 KB)