The European Union has been accused of leaving refugees to die at sea in an effort to deter migration, following reports that it will downgrade its maritime rescues in the Mediterranean. The EU mission was aimed at disrupting people traffickers and rescuing migrants attempting to make the dangerous crossing from north Africa in rickety boats. The move has been roundly condemned by charities and rights groups, which said cancellation of rescue missions move will lead to more deaths in the Mediterranean. Rome called for other countries to open up their ports instead, but no other EU states came forward. The mission’s mandate was due to expire this week, and needed the agreement of all EU governments to continue.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 28, 2019 12:45 UTC