Refugees and Migrants: Search and Rescue Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon
Main Page: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon's debates with the Home Office
(9 years, 9 months ago)
Lords ChamberMy Lords, it pains me to say to my noble friends that this is a discreditable policy, whatever words are used to describe it. We do not find it difficult to disagree with the European Union on all sorts of other matters, but do we have to lay our hand to a European policy whose central proposition is that the best way to discourage people from seeking a better life is to leave them to drown in the Mediterranean? This is inhuman, it is discreditable and it may well be contrary to our duties under international law to do everything we can to save those in peril on the sea.
The noble Lord comes to this with huge experience and understanding. However, those obligations which are there under the laws of the sea, maritime law and humanitarian law will remain as obligations on any vessels that actually come across people who are making this journey. The question is how we tackle this increasing trend effectively. This is not for the UK alone; this view was pored over on the basis of evidence, intelligence and information which came to the Justice and Home Affairs Council. All 28 member states agreed—which, as my noble friend suggested, is a pretty rare achievement—that, regrettably, this was having a counterproductive effect.