Search and rescue at sea: a legal obligation?
Humanitarian and legal perspectives on the ‘Refugee Crisis’
Wednesday 8 June 2016, Middlesex University (London) NW4 4BT
An event co-organised by Middlesex University, AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe), University of Palermo and CLEDU (Clinica Legale per i Diritti Umani)
Between January and May 2016, over 150,000 migrants crossed the Aegean sea to reach Europe, mostly escaping the war in Syria. In the same period, nearly 30,000 people reached the Italian shores through the central Mediterranean route. The majority of them flee their countries because of war, conflict or persecutions. Many of the migrants, who, risking their lives, undertook an extremely dangerous journey to look for a better life in Europe or to get international protection, died because they were not rescued in time.
The current debates on the issue offer lengthy press releases, shocking photographs and estimates of the number of people drowning in an attempt to reach safety. Tearful press obituaries and background policy analysis as to the reasons why this situation is occurring complete the picture. However, what is not heard enough is the voice of the Law: what are the obligations of the EU, its member states, and other neighbouring countries towards the migrants attempting this risky journey? Are there any legal steps that can be taken in order to help eliminate deaths in the Mediterranean?
Middlesex University (London), the Italian legal clinic CLEDU (Clinica Legale per i Diritti Umani) and the UK legal organisation AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) are working together to take forward this debate by holding a roundtable on the positive legal obligations of EU member states under international maritime law, EU law and national law towards migrants, asylum seekers and persons in distress at sea. The roundtable will take place in London, at Middlesex University, on 8 June 2016, bringing together European experts on the subject.
For further information and to book a place visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/search-and-rescue-at-sea-a-legal-obligation-tickets-25139773740
Programme
9:30-10.00 - Coffee and registration
10.00- 10.30 – Welcome and Introduction
Welcome by AIRE Centre, University of Palermo/CLEDU and Middlesex/SPRC
Introduction to the topic and the EVI-MED project
Brad Blitz (Middlesex University)
10.30-12.30 – The legal context
The international legal context
Helena Wray & Anthony Cullen (Middlesex University)
Access to Justice
Nuala Mole (AIRE Centre)
Search and Rescue and the Law of the Sea
Markella Papadouli (AIRE Centre)
12.30 - 13.30 - Lunch
13.30 - Geographical trajectories
Official data and emerging EVI-MED findings
Alessio D’Angelo (Middlesex University)
2.00 – Operation and experiences
Ian Greatbatch (Kingston University)
The Moral Case for Search and Rescue
Martin Xuereb (former director of MOAS - Migrant Offshore Aid Station)
Search & Rescue - experiences from land and sea
Zane Dedlow (Middlesex University student)
3.00 – Thematic analyses and case studies
Protecting migrants in danger at sea: the role of the European Court of Human Rights
Roberta Greco (Saccucci Fares & Partners)
EU law and the New European Border and Coastal Guard Agency
The Italian context and the role of legal practitioners
Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo & Elena Consiglio (University of Palermo / CLEDU)
Operation Sophia: A military mandate to rescue migrants at sea
Giorgia Bevilacqua (Second University of Naples)
De-humanising Refugee Flows through the “Rescue without Protection” Paradigm
Violeta Moreno-Lax (Queen Mary University)
4.30 – Final discussion
5.00 – End
This event is part of the ‘Migration at Middlesex’ 2016 seminar series and funded within the ‘impact strategy’ of the ESRC-funded research project ‘EVI-MED - Constructing an Evidence Base of Contemporary Mediterreanean Migrations’: www.mdx.ac.uk/evimed
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