Source · Select Committees · Human Rights (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 21
21
Paragraph: 100
As previously recognised, the primary obligation in respect of those at sea must be safety...
Conclusion
As previously recognised, the primary obligation in respect of those at sea must be safety of life. This is even more so when dealing with people on small, unseaworthy vessels, in a busy shipping lane, often with rough waters, as is the case for migrants in small boats in the Channel. A policy of pushbacks would risk failing to comply with the obligations to save those in distress at sea, and instead would risk a situation where state actors were actively placing individuals in situations that would have an increased risk to life. We cannot see how a policy of pushbacks can be implemented without risking lives, contrary to the UK’s obligations under the right to life and international maritime law, especially if applied to fragile unseaworthy vessels.
Paragraph Reference:
100