Less than £3, 000 a week to stop unnecessary and horrific Mediterranean deaths

Europe continues to ignore the plight of those immigrants desperately trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean sea crossing.

Most, if not all, those deaths could be prevented.

For less than a piddling £3, 000 (or US$ 4, 680 or Euros 4, 093) a week from each member state, the Globalert Airborne Reconnaissance and Surveillance platform, equipped with state-of-the-art, military grade sensors (capable of covering around 120, 000 square miles of ocean instantaneously, and of locating a Coke can at 10 miles), can be deployed almost immediately. Operating day or night, regardless of cloud cover and visibility, the aircraft can co-ordinate SAR operations effectively and rapidly via (for example)  MRCC, Rome and/or direct with surface craft, ensuring that such surface craft are deployed efficiently and rapidly to reach distressed vessels and people without the current unnecessary delays.

Certain Governments are aware of this capability, yet choose to ignore the humanitarian tragedies happening under their noses. It’s even been (ridiculously) referred to the cumbersome and lumbering EU tendering process which can take up to 12 months. Perhaps those governments prefer to contribute tens of millions of headline-grabbing pounds instead?

Whilst the media focuses most of it’s attention on the thousands safely transiting by land through Eastern Europe.

What is needed is action – effective action – NOW! Not in 12 months – or even 1 month.

Or must we allow even more suffering and horrific deaths by drowning?

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John B Dalby (Captain), AFNI
Founder & CEO Marine Risk Management Ltd (Established 1986)