The 14 June shipwreck in the Mediterranean is one of the worst and most deadly in years. The deaths of as many as 500 people feared drowned in the sinking of an overcrowded fishing boat off southern Greece have once more thrown a spotlight on the world’s deadliest migratory route. It remains unclear why the Greek coast guard, which would have been obligated to rescue under the international law of the sea, did not intervene.

Against this background, Lisa-Marie Komp told Nieuwsuur that this most recent tragedy forms part of a pattern whereby EU Member States are increasingly reluctant to comply with their rescue obligations under international law. Follow this link to see the full interview.

In her book, Border Deaths at Sea under the Right to Life in the European Convention on Human Rights, Lisa-Marie Komp demonstrates that European Human Rights Law is applicable to border deaths occurring within the territorial seas of states. Therein, she discusses the right to life, as well as the specific obligations of states in respect to border deaths at sea, and demonstrates that in many instances, EU policies fall short of the standards set under the right to life.