Brussels/Athens, 13 June 2024 — One year after a devastating shipwreck off the coast of Pylos in southern Greece - one of the deadliest ever tragedies in the Mediterranean which claimed the lives of over 600 people - the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling on European states to provide safe routes for people on the move, and press for an independent investigation into the catastrophe. It is imperative to prevent future fatalities, ensure complete accountability, and deliver justice to the survivors and families of the people who lost their lives at sea.
The situation in the Mediterranean demands attention as people continue to arrive in Europe seeking safety and protection. So far in 2024, 15,439 asylum seekers have reached Greece by sea. It is all too common for these journeys to end tragically: 2023 saw the highest number of recorded deaths in the Mediterranean Sea in six years, while almost 30,000 have gone missing or lost their lives since 2014.
Marta Welander, IRC EU Advocacy Director, said:
“A full year since this deadly shipwreck, the outlook for people seeking protection in Europe is even more dire than it was before. This tragedy shined a spotlight on the terrible human cost of the EU’s deterrence policies. However, rather than shifting away from this approach, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum instead risks further entrenching some of its most dangerous elements. It could result in more people being forced onto treacherous routes, more detention, and more suffering at Europe’s borders.
“We’re today calling on EU leaders to urgently shift their focus from keeping people from reaching Europe at all costs, towards welcoming them with dignity and respect. It’s not only essential that the EU presses for an independent investigation into this shipwreck, but that it takes immediate steps to ensure that such a tragedy will not happen again. That includes EU states creating their own independent monitoring mechanism to stop human rights violations from taking place at their borders, and scaling up safe routes so that people are not forced onto such dangerous routes in search of safety in the first place. If they fail to do so, many more people will perish while seeking Europe’s protection.”
Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, IRC Greece Director, added:
“One year since the Pylos shipwreck sounded as a tragic wakeup call for the international community, little progress has been made for those seeking safety and refuge at Europe's shores. Each passing month sees that people arriving in Greece are confronted with challenges in meeting their basic needs and exercising their fundamental rights, stemming from a reception system that prioritises deterrence over welcome.
“As in recent years the summer months have woefully seen a greater loss of life at sea, Greek authorities need to do everything in their power to assist all people seeking international protection, stranded at sea and in border regions, evacuate them to safety, and ensure fair and full access to asylum procedures, while also preventing any attempts to forcibly return them to countries where they may face persecution or harm.”
IRC Hellas is the International Rescue Committee's presence in Greece, working to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster, to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Operating in Greece since 2015, we provide mental health and psychosocial support, child protection, as well as labour market integration services.