June 3, 2016 — Elinor Raikes, Regional Representative for the Europe Refugee Crisis, said:
“While at this stage we don’t know where the passengers on this boat were coming from, one thing is clear; whether they were fleeing war and persecution, or dreadful poverty and despair – it shows that desperate people will continue to attempt these treacherous journeys until adequate legal alternatives to safety are established.
“Incidents like this have become the symbol of the global refugee crisis. Unless and until European leaders recognize the humanitarian imperative to expand safe and legal routes into Europe, border closures will only result in new and alternative smuggling routes and we can expect many more of these tragedies to occur as dangerous journeys present the only option.
“Next week the EU is expected to release its blueprint for a Europe-wide resettlement policy. It is our sincere hope that this mechanism will be afforded the commitment it deserves and open up safe pathways to Europe for some of the world’s most vulnerable people, before they are compelled to risk their lives crossing continents.
“Resettlement alone won’t solve the crisis but it would represent a real acknowledgment of the problem and a step towards finding the coordinated and managed solutions that the international community so urgently needs to put in place, so that lives can be spared.”
ENDS