Titan sub: Everyone in peril at sea deserves to be rescued

Giulia Messmer is a spokesperson at Sea-Watch, a non-profit organisation that conducts civil search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.

As the world watched the minute-by-minute reports of the ‘Titan’ submersible implosion, we should have been able to do two things: Grieve for the five people who died on the "Titan" and – at the same time – mourn the more than 27,500 people who have drowned while crossing the Mediterranean Sea since 2014.

Only we don't.

Our society measures human life differently. It feels, reports, and acts in nearly opposite ways toward the death of five people than it does for the hundreds onboard an overcrowded boat that capsized on June 14, just a few miles off Greece. And the reasons for this are the money people possess and why they are in distress at sea.

The shipwreck off Pylos in Greece showcases a system of neglect and pushback the European Union has established in the last decades. Survivors testify the Greek coast guards towed their boat, causing it to capsize. Greek authorities, however, have denied that they attempted this incredibly dangerous manoeuvre, but many questions remain unanswered. Did the Greek coast guard tow the boat away so it would be Italy’s or Malta’s responsibility? What role did the European border and coast guard agency Frontex play? We, like many other organisations, demand a full investigation.

But one thing is unmistakable: This shipwreck is the direct consequence of political decision-making that will do anything to prevent people from arriving in Europe.

This shipwreck is one of thousands. Ten years ago, two shipwrecks near Lampedusa in Italy killed 600 people and caused immense public outcry. In response, however, European leaders tightened asylum laws and increased isolation. 

The European border regime is killing people exercising their right to seek protection – every day. The external borders are a graveyard, they are a scene of crimes against humanity.

Following the events of the past week off Pylos, with more than 180 international groups, we published an open letter demanding an end to Europe’s isolation policy and called for a state-led sea rescue programme.

Since its inception in 2015, our sea rescue organisation Sea-Watch, together with many other initiatives, have been calling for safe and legal passage to Europe. It is the only solution to avoid loss of life at sea and on other migration routes.

With our monitoring airplanes, we fly over the Mediterranean to spot boats in distress and document human rights violations. With our ships, we rescue people in the Mediterranean and bring them to a safe port. But this is not enough. Our efforts can never be enough. And we should not even be in the position of having to conduct search and rescue. Why do we, as civil society organisations, need to take over state duties?

All of us hold the responsibility to create a world where large-scale rescue efforts are deployed for every human life. As a society, we cannot be standing at the sideline watching, but we have to take our outrage to the street and parliaments, demanding immediate political change. Organise together with friends and in your neighborhoods, express your anger in your social circles, vote accordingly, and stand up for human rights for all.

In solidarity with all survivors of the recent shipwrecks and the loved ones of the deceased. In solidarity with all people on the move.