Mediterranean Refugee Situation

According to the report the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in July this year, estimated 137.000 refugees made the crossing over the Mediterranean, which is an increase of 83% on the same period last year. As the second half of the year traditionally sees a big rise in crossings due to calmer weather conditions in summer, chances are hight, that the commercial and private shipping industry will be involved in Large Scale Rescue Operations at Sea (LSROS) with all its defiances and perils by transiting the affected maritime areas in the Mediterranean.

Besides the general effects on the commercial shipping industry, private ship owners and operators may also be affected by human trafficking as recent member reports of the Cruising Association outline conflicts with coast state authorities in Southern Europe in the framework of rescuing refugees from the open sea.

It this context it shall be pointed out, that the International Camber of Shipping has updated its guidance on ensuring the safety and security of seafarers and rescued persons this year to call the attention of the management and crew of shipping companies. This guidance offers a general overview and checklists for the topic which is available for free over the shown below button.

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