08/04/2026 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Sandra Zampa (Italy, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Migration, International Protection and Economic Co‑operation, made the following statement today:
“On Easter night, tragedy once again struck in the Mediterranean. A vessel carrying migrants capsized, claiming the lives of at least seventy people. Thirty-two survivors – rescued after spending long, desperate hours adrift at sea – have now reached the island of Lampedusa. This latest disaster is a stark reminder that the Mediterranean continues to be one of the world’s deadliest migration routes and that Europe’s collective response remains far from adequate.
I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have perished, and my solidarity to the survivors who endured unimaginable suffering. Europe must urgently put in place a co-ordinated and humane plan to save lives at sea and to manage migration with dignity and justice.
I reiterate the Assembly’s 2025 call for the re-establishment of large‑scale European search‑and‑rescue operations, including the creation of a European sea search‑and‑rescue corps with the sole mandate of saving lives. This must be complemented by a coherent strategy for safe and regular pathways, including humanitarian corridors, resettlement programmes and legal entry routes.
PACE has repeatedly emphasised that member states are obliged under international and European human rights law to conduct search and rescue operations, to prevent pushbacks and to identify the bodies of migrants who died at sea. These principles are not optional; they are binding moral and legal duties.
The time has come for Europe to change course. We must replace indifference with responsibility, and fear with solidarity. Every life lost at sea is a reminder that we can and must do better.”