IOM Fears Over 300 African Migrants Drown En Route to Europe

The International Organization for Migration (IMO) denounced on the 11 February 2015 the actions of Libya-based people smugglers responsible for the deaths of hundreds of African migrants sent to sea during a storm in unseaworthy inflatable dinghies. Only nine people survived this further tragedy in which at least 300 people were missing and believed to have drowned.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency the European Union on the 12 Febryary 2015 to do far more to save migrant lives in the Mediterranean, saying its existing maritime border patrol was 'woefully inadequate'.

'Europe's Operation Triton is a woefully inadequate replacement for Italy's Mare Nostrum,' said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. 'The focus has to be about saving lives. We need a robust search and rescue operation in the Central Mediterranean, not only a border patrol'.

• Primary Source

BBC News, 11.02.15: Hundreds of migrants killed in new Mediterranean tragedy, says UN http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31414009

ESO: Background information: Hundreds rescued from cargo ship abandoned in Greek waters http://www.europeansources.info/record/hundreds-rescued-from-cargo-ship-abandoned-in-greek-waters/

IOM: Missing Migrants Project http://mmp.iom.int/

Euronews, 11.02.15: Hundreds of migrants feared dead in Mediterannean http://www.euronews.com/2015/02/11/hundreds-of-migrants-feared-dead-in-mediterannean/

UNHCR: News Stories, 10.02.15: UNHCR urges beefed up search and rescue capacity as at least 29 die off Italy http://www.unhcr.org/54d9e9e46.html

AI: News, 11.02.15: EU ‘burying heads in the sand’ as hundreds more migrants die at sea off Italy http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/eu-burying-heads-sand-hundreds-more-migrants-die-sea-italy-2015-02-11

Deutsche Welle, 11.02.15: More than 300 people feared dead in Mediterranean migrant boat tragedies http://dw.de/p/1EZmp

The Local.it, 11.02.15: 300 feared drowned trying to reach Italy http://www.thelocal.it/20150211/200-feared-drowned-trying-to-reach-italy

EUObserver, 12.02.15: More than 300 dead in latest migrant tragedy https://euobserver.com/justice/127607

European Commission: DG Communication: RAPID: STATEMENT/15/4406, 12.02.15: Statement by First Vice-President Frans Timmermans on deaths in the Mediterranean http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-15-4406_en.htm

France24, 12.02.15: At least 300 migrants feared dead off Italian coast http://www.france24.com/en/20150211-italy-hundreds-migrants-die-mediterranean-sea-libya/

The Local.it, 12.02.15: EU sea patrol 'woefully inadequate': UN http://www.thelocal.it/20150212/eu-sea-patrol-woefully-inadequate-un

ESO: Background information: Questions and Answers: Smuggling of Migrants in Europe and the EU response http://www.europeansources.info/record/memo-questions-and-answers-smuggling-of-migrants-in-europe-and-the-eu-response/

UNHCR: News: Stories, 11.02.15: Around 300 feared dead in fresh Mediterranean tragedy http://www.unhcr.org.uk/news-and-views/news-list/news-detail/article/around-300-feared-dead-in-fresh-mediterranean-tragedy.html

The Conversation, 13.02.15: Hundreds of refugees dead in the Mediterranean and still Europe won’t act https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-refugees-dead-in-the-mediterranean-and-still-europe-wont-act-37549

http://frontex.europa.eu/feature-stories/operation-triton-winter-developments-qXDamY http://frontex.europa.eu/feature-stories/operation-triton-winter-developments-qXDamY

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

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