The decision to end the Italian navy's Mare Nostrum migrant search and rescue project caused waves as it effectively shifed the burden to the merchant navy-which is legally obligated to aid anyone in distress at sea. The mission, which cost €9 million per month and has benefitted over 100,000 refugees in the year it was operational, was set up after a fishing boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the coast of the Lampedusa island in 2013. While 155 migrants were rescued, more than twice that number lost their lives.
展开▼
