Stand Up to Racism has called a vigil outside Downing Street at 6pm on this Thursday, 21st April, in response to the drowning of hundreds of refugees in the Mediterranean. It will demand that the government changes its policy on migrants.
A boat carrying more than 400 people has capsized in the Mediterranean and all are feared drowned. The overloaded boat was travelling from Egypt to Italy, carrying refugees largely from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. The current policy of the British and other European governments will lead to further such deaths.
Weyman Bennett of Stand Up to Racism said, “These horrific deaths show the grim reality of the Fortress Europe policy. No refugee should be ignored whether they are from Syria or Somalia. The government has got to change its policy. We need policies that will rescue desperate people, not leave them to die.”
Sabby Dhalu of Stand Up to Racism said, “People are risking dangerous journeys across seas because they are desperate. There is a real danger of refugees drowning becoming normal – it is not. The continuation of refugees drowning is a sign that current EU and British government refugee polices are not working. The British government must urgently reinstate search and rescue operations, work with the EU and other countries in implementing safe routes to Europe and take a fair proportion of refugees.”
Exactly a year ago, on 18 April 2015, some 850 people died in a similar tragedy brought sympathy from the public which forced the government to temporarily change its policy to rescue migrants. Since then it has done everything in its power to turn that sympathy to hostility—specifically saying that people who have had the enterprise to make the journey should be sent back and only those who have not travelled should be allowed into Europe.
The government argues that rescuing people is a pull factor, but a recent report shows that the desperate people will come anyway. But more will die if they are not rescued. About 60 people died in the first four months in 2014, but that rose to 1,687 in the first four months of last year. The figure is likely to rise again this year as the crisis worsens.
The deal between the EU and Turkey treats refugees appallingly, but even this only talks about refugees from Syria. This week’s tragedy is a reminder that the refugee crisis is much deeper.
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This was issued as a press release on 18 April 2016