Migrants in the Mediterranean: Protecting Human Rights
In reaction to recurrent tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea, the European Union (EU) has adopted a series of measures seeking to improve the protection of migrants trying to reach the borders of the EU by sea and to share responsibility among countries involved by increasing cooperation with transit countries. This study focuses on the existing and planned EU policies and actions to protect the human rights of migrants before entering the EU by sea or after they have left the territory of the EU. The picture that emerges from the evaluation of EU policies and actions is a mixed one. On the one hand, it cannot be denied that instruments of sea borders surveillance and instruments of cooperation with third countries have now generally included human rights safeguards. On the other hand, implementation, monitoring and control remain problematic. Furthermore, the primary aim of existing EU policies and actions still seems to be the protection of the external borders against so-called ‘illegal’ immigration and the return of illegally staying migrants, rather than the development of effective strategies to protect human rights of migrants and the saving of lives on the Mediterranean. The study therefore offers specific recommendations to ensure a coherent human rights-based EU approach to improve the protection of the rights of migrants aiming to reach the EU.
Study
External author
Samuel COGOLATI; Nele VERLINDEN and Pierre SCHMITT, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, Institute for International Law, KU Leuven, Belgium.
About this document
Publication type
Keyword
- area of freedom, security and justice
- cooperation policy
- economic analysis
- economic geography
- ECONOMICS
- ENVIRONMENT
- EU institutions and European civil service
- EU Member State
- EU migration policy
- EU military mission
- European construction
- EUROPEAN UNION
- European Union Agency for Asylum
- European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
- external border of the EU
- Frontex
- GEOGRAPHY
- human rights
- illegal migration
- international affairs
- international convention
- international cooperation
- international law
- International Organisation for Migration
- INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
- INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- international security
- LAW
- maritime surveillance
- Mediterranean Sea
- migrant
- migration
- migratory movement
- natural environment
- refugee
- rights and freedoms
- rights of aliens
- Schengen Agreement
- SOCIAL QUESTIONS
- statistics
- third country
- UNHCR
- United Nations
- world organisations