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‘New Migration Pact will cost more lives at sea’
The outcome of the final trilogue negotiations on the New Pact on Migration is a turning point and one of the most blatant displays of disrespect to human rights and the suffering along European borders, a statement by Sea Watch International and other human rights group said.
With the agreement on the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), Sea Watch International said the EU has decided to formalize a status quo where violence, neglect, torture, and leaving people to die are every day practice. “Recent years have shown a wide range of cruel practices towards people arriving in Europe: cramming them into camps like Moria, separating children from their parents, preventing boats from arriving to a safe shore in the Aegean Sea, beating people unconscious along the Croatian border or letting them freeze to death at the Polish border. With the agreement that has now been reached, all of this will continue and, indeed, become formalized.
“We are shocked to see how the lives lost at sea are used to justify these politics of violence.
“Today, the EU had the chance to live up to a promise made by the European Commis- sion 10 years ago, after 368 people drowned in a single shipwreck off Lampedusa. Back then, the European Commission stated that their deaths should be a wake-up call to increase solidarity and mutual support and prevent similar tragedies in the future. The deaths of 600 people in the shipwreck off Pylos this year was not even worth any more empty promises. In fact, 2023 was one of the deadliest years ever in the central Mediterranean. At least 2,210 people lost their lives.”
With today ́s agreement, it said the EU missed the chance to agree on core mechanisms to put an end to the dying at sea. There would have been alternatives that actually could have saved lives: safe and legal routes to Europe, a European search and rescue pro- gram, and the fair distribution of people on the move across EU Member States.
“Instead, the EU institutions have decided to actively gut the rights of those seeking protection, legalising the violations of EU asylum law by the member states. The New Pact will restrict access to protection in Europe by introducing fast-track asylum pro- cedures at the border to speed up returns. The failed Dublin system will be retained, and no genuine solidarity mechanism will be introduced to support EU Member States at external borders. There is not a single solution presented to sustainably organise secondary migration within the EU. Instead, the proposal will isolate refugees from the rest of society, detain them in remote camps and prevent any form of integration. There are no safe and legal routes established to seek protection in the EU. Instead, the aim is to declare various third countries as safe, even if these countries persecute their own nationals or do not even grant legal status to refugees.
“All of this will force more people to try to flee by sea, and choose ever more dangerous routes. Again and again, more lives will be lost. Not one single life will be saved by today’s decision. Europe has decided to learn from its worst examples. This agreement is a historic failure and a bow to the right-wing parties of Europe.
Signatories, as of 19th of December 2023:
Watch the Med – Alarm Phone
Compass Collective
Iuventa
Maldusa
MARE*GO
Mediterranea
MISSION LIFELINE
MV Louise Michel
RESQSHIP e.V.
r42 – sailandrescue
Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario
SARAH gUG
Sea-Eye e.V.
Sea-Watch e.V.
Seebrücke
SOS Humanity e.V.
United4Rescue – Gemeinsam Retten e.V.
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Le projet de budget de l’État norvégien pour 2027 ne prévoit pas d’affecter 1 % du revenu national brut du pays à l’aide internationale, malgré la hausse des recettes et des besoins humanitaires sans précédent, a déclaré le Conseil norvégien pour les réfugiés (NRC).
Le secrétaire général du NRC, Jan Egeland, a qualifié cette proposition de « surprenante et décevante », avertissant qu’elle envoie un mauvais signal alors que d’autres grands donateurs réduisent leur aide.
Selon M. Egeland, les réductions des financements humanitaires à l’échelle mondiale privent des millions de personnes déplacées par les conflits d’un abri adéquat, tandis que l’aide alimentaire et l’accès à l’éducation sont réduits.
La Norvège a maintenu ses contributions à l’aide au cours des deux dernières années, alors que d’autres grands donateurs annonçaient des coupes, a-t-il indiqué. Compte tenu de la richesse croissante du pays et de sa tradition humanitaire, la Norvège devrait continuer à soutenir les personnes dans le besoin, a ajouté M. Egeland.
Le NRC a appelé le Parlement norvégien à réviser le budget afin de porter les dépenses d’aide à 1 % du revenu national brut et de donner la priorité à l’aide d’urgence.
The Norwegian government’s proposed 2027 state budget does not allocate 1% of the country’s gross national income to international aid, despite rising revenues and record humanitarian needs, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland called the proposal “surprising and disappointing,” warning that it sends the wrong signal as other major donors cut aid.
Egeland said global reductions in humanitarian funding were leaving millions of people displaced by conflict without adequate shelter, while food assistance and access to education were being reduced.
Norway had maintained its aid contributions over the past two years as other major donors announced cuts, he said. Given the country’s growing wealth and humanitarian tradition, Norway should continue supporting people in need, Egeland added.
The NRC urged Norway’s parliament to revise the budget to bring aid spending up to 1% of gross national income and prioritise emergency assistance.
Italian authorities have detained the search-and-rescue vessel *Sea Punk I* for 15 days and imposed a €7,500 fine following the rescue of 20 people in international waters.
The rescue took place on Thursday, 10 September 2026, near the Bouri oil platform. The vessel’s crew said the operation was conducted in coordination with Italian authorities and in line with applicable conventions and international regulations.
Authorities cited the so-called Piantedosi Decree and accused the captain of failing to follow instructions from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. The *Sea Punk I* is an alliance partner of the Justice Fleet, a coalition of civil search-and-rescue organisations and supporters.
The Justice Fleet said the detention brings the total number of days its vessels have been blocked by Italian authorities to more than 310 since the alliance was founded in November 2025. The *Sea Punk I* is the 11th Justice Fleet vessel to be detained.
Civil search-and-rescue organisations have documented almost 80 incidents of extreme violence by Libyan militias since 2016, most attributed to the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, according to the Justice Fleet. The group also says more than 27,000 people fleeing Libya were forcibly returned there last year, in violation of international law. It said refugees and migrants in the country face rising violence and death threats.
“While extreme violence against people on the move is currently unfolding in Libya, the Italian authorities want to force us to cooperate with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. Not with us!” said Justice Fleet spokesperson Giulia Messmer, calling for an end to European cooperation with the force.
The Justice Fleet was founded in November 2025 by 13 search-and-rescue organisations, with support from civil society groups. It says its aims include challenging the detention of rescue vessels in Italy and opposing the outsourcing of migration control to Libyan actors.
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