Maritime borders in the Central Mediterranean: Search and Rescue and access to asylum
Abstract
The article argues that the border for migrants in the Central Mediterranean can only be identified by intertwining provisions of international maritime law and international humanitarian norms to find that the border is shifted on board of the boats that perform Search and Rescue (SAR) or Interdiction Operations regardless of their position on the map and of the official borders created by International Treaties. By highlighting the discrepancy between the restrictive political/operational trends and the legal commitment towards search and rescue and maritime borders, this article demonstrates how European human rights jurisprudence on search and rescue and non-refoulement shaped the European response at sea and determined the shifting of maritime borders on board of the boats performing rescues or interceptions. As a consequence, this explains the criminalization of SAR NGOs, which become unwanted border outposts at Sea.
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References
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