NGOs urge government to end Alan Kurdi standoff

A group of NGOs have urged Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to bring the Alan Kurdi standoff to an end by allowing the disembarkation of over 60 people rescued by the NGO vessel.

The migrants were rescued by the vessel with Libyan territorial waters 10 days ago.

In a statement on Friday, the NGOs insisted that the Prime Minister needed to prioritise human life over legal and political concerns.

“Whilst we appreciate that these considerations are of course central to the determination of responsibilities and obligations, these should not override or ignore the need to ensure the safety of all rescued persons and of the rescuing crew,” read the NGOs' statement.

The NGOs stressed that Libya could not be considered a safe port for migrants in light of "countless" accounts of appalling human rights abuses and the recent escalation of military violence in the country.

“Forcibly returning migrants, as also Libyan nationals, to Libya would expose them to torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, discrimination and – in some cases – death,” the NGOs said.

They added that the recent confrontation between coastal states to allow the disembarkation of rescued migrants was discouraging private vessels form fulfilling their "legal obligation" of rescuing distressed people at sea. “Whilst we appreciate the difficulties Malta faces due to Italy’s extreme stance on migration issues, we nonetheless appeal to the Prime Minister to prove that the nation may, and will, rise above this terrible race to the bottom.”

The statement was signed by: aditus foundation, Allied Rainbow Communities, Office of the Dean, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, Department of Gender Studies, Department for Inclusion and Access to Learning, Department of Youth and Community Studies, Drachma LGBTI, Drachma Parents Group, Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants, LGBTI+ Gozo, Integra Foundation, International Association for Refugees, Isles of the Left, Jesuit Refugee Service Malta, Kopin, Malta LGTBTIQ Rights Movement, Moviment Graffitti, OASI Foundation, Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta, Richmond Foundation, Solidarity with Migrants, SOS Malta, Spark 15, Sudanese Community Malta, The Critical Institute, Victim Support Malta, Kummisjoni Ġustizzja u Paċi, Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta and JosAnn Cutajar.