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As you know, thousands of migrants died in the Mediterranean this Summer in their attempts to reach Europe. Boats wandered adrift and shipwrecks took place in front of Coast Guard ships, surveillance patrols of Frontex and ships from the military coalition engaged operations in Libya under NATO command.

For the last several years, African and European organizations alike have been challenging governments about the number of deaths occurring at the borders of the European Union, but in vain. We have come to the conclusion that it is essential now to move to direct action in the light of the excessive number of shipwrecks taking place in the Mediterranean and the reluctance of Europe to concede entry to refugees. We call for a Mediterranean which is in solidarity with migrants and in opposition to repressive policies which seek to criminalize migration towards Europe more and more each day.

By launching a sea operation in the Mediterranean we want:

 To denounce the tragedy which is taking place in the Strait of Sicily
 To exercise our right of access to the maritime regions in which these shipwrecks are taking place and to the centers in which migrants arriving in Italy are detained
 To raise awareness about the requirements of the law of the sea in terms of assistance and to support citizens and sailors who rescue migrants and are criminalized.
 To accuse state actors working at sea (border guards, Frontex, NATO) who are guilty of failing to assist migrants in difficulties and of re fouling asylum seekers, against the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Geneva Convention
 To strengthen Euro-African solidarity with regard to migration and the defense of migrants.

The website http://www.boats4people.org has been concieved by a group of activists and organizations from the Mediterranean and all over Europe in order to spread information about the Boats 4 People campaign and about migrations and the law of the sea.