Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson
SINN Féin MEP Martina Anderson has called for international action to end the tragedies of refugee deaths in the Mediterranean.
Martina Anderson said: “At a meeting of the Civil Liberties committee in Brussels last week we received a report on Frontex, the European border agency, about the current situation on refugees crossing the Mediterranean.
“The report said that from January to June this year, 2,005 men, women and children have drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to flee conflict and persecution.
“This is not just a statistic; these are people and every single death is a tragedy.
“Instead of trying to keep people out the EU should be looking at keeping people safe.
“We need to provide a safe and legal avenue for those escaping war and persecution.
“It is shameful that so many people are dying in the Mediterranean and we need to see more action from the EU and the international community to end the growing humanitarian crisis and prevent further tragedies.” End
