ECHOES n.9 - Civil MRCC

NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE 

On 11th of October 2023 an impressive commemorAction took place near the port of Lampedusa to remember the victims of the big shipwrecks ten years ago and at the same time to point out the responsibility of the European border regime in the ongoing death at sea that continues to this day. According to IOM figures, in 2023 another 2480 people died adding to the 17,000 deaths and disappearances recorded by MMP since 2014. As safe passage was denied to people on the move, they were killed by a racist policy of migration control, determent, and externalization. We will never forget and never forgive those state border crimes while we continue our support for and our solidarity with all people on the move. Since the beginning of the year 2023: 

• 144.675 people arrived in Italy by boat, a significant number of whom arrived autonomously (UNHCR figure until November 5) 

• 10.693 people were rescued by the civil fleet from more than 200 boats in distress (CMRCC figure until October 31) 

• 14.894 people were pushed back to Libya after they were intercepted by the EU-supported so-called Libyan Coast Guard (UNHCR figures as of November 4) and 44.092 people were intercepted by the Tunisian authorities (FTDES figures until October 31) 

• 2.188 people have been reported dead or missing on the Central Mediterranean Route (IOM figures until November 18) including 1.293 people who fled Tunisia (FTDES figures until October 31).