Image copyright AFP Image caption The Aquarius has been stuck in Marseille since its registration was revoked

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it has been forced to end migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean carried out by the vessel Aquarius.

The medical charity blamed "sustained attacks on search and rescue by European states".

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini welcomed MSF's move. "Fewer sailings, fewer landings, fewer deaths. That's good," he tweeted.

Aquarius has been stuck in Marseille since its registration was revoked.

It has helped save migrants making the dangerous crossing to Europe from Libya and elsewhere, but has faced strong opposition, particularly from Italy.

Mr Salvini accused charities running rescue ships of collaborating with people-traffickers operating out of Libya to run a "taxi service" to Italian ports.

Italian policy is that migrants picked up at sea should be returned to Libya by that country's coastguard.

But charities and human rights groups say migrants face appalling conditions in Libya, where abuses at the hands of people-trafficking gangs are rife.

Aquarius had been the last charity rescue ship still operating.

Announcing the decision to end its operations, MSF said EU countries, spearheaded by Italy, had failed to provide enough dedicated rescue capacity of their own, then had actively sabotaged the efforts of others trying to save lives in the Mediterranean, the BBC's Europe correspondent, Damian Grammaticas reports.

In a tweet, MSF Sea said "sustained attacks" by European nations "will mean more deaths at sea, and more needless deaths that will go unwitnessed".

Aquarius has been laid up in Marseille for months, after Panama revoked its registration - citing intense political pressure from Italian authorities

A de-flagged vessel cannot legally set sail.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption In June, the BBC visited an empty and troubled Aquarius

Italy has kept up the pressure. Last month, prosecutors called for the seizure of the Aquarius over the alleged dumping of potentially toxic waste in its ports. MSF called the move "unfounded and sinister".

Migrant numbers reaching Italy have fallen significantly this year amid moves to dismantle smuggling networks in Libya and increase coastguard patrols.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) data says more than 2,000 people have died or gone missing making crossings this year, compared to more than 3,000 last year.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC producer Alva White describes conditions on the Aquarius

The Aquarius began operations in 2015 and came to worldwide attention over the summer as Italy closed its ports to migrant rescue ships, leaving the ship stranded at sea with people rescued from the water.

Hundreds of migrants were eventually allowed to disembark in the Spanish port of Valencia in June, after being turned away by Italy and Malta.</s>The search-and-rescue ship Aquarius, which has helped about 30,000 migrants avoid death in the Mediterranean Sea, is suspending its operations.

The humanitarian groups Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee said European governments were forcing them to end the rescue runs.

The Aquarius has been docked in Marseille, France, since early October after Panama revoked its registration at the behest of the right-wing, anti-immigration Italian government.

The ship has been rescuing migrants who were trying to make the dangerous crossing from Libya to Europe in inadequate rafts and dinghies.

"The end of Aquarius means more lives lost at sea; more avoidable deaths that will go unwitnessed and unrecorded. It really is a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' for UK and European leaders as men, women and children perish," Vickie Hawkins, head of MSF UK, said in a statement.

The International Organization for Migration said that about 15,000 migrants have drowned in the central Mediterranean since 2013. An estimated 2,133 have died this year alone.

The Aquarius was the last rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean. Last year, five groups were running rescue ships.

At the height of the migrant influx in 2015 and 2016, NGO vessels worked alongside Italian coast guard ships.

The election of Italy's coalition government this year on an anti-migrant platform rapidly ended the cooperation, and rescue boats have been prevented from docking in Italian ports. Migrant arrivals in Italy have since fallen to pre-crisis levels following a series of hard-line measures drafted by far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Now rescue missions fall on national coast guard crews from Europe and North Africa, who tend to return the rescued migrants to the country they set off from, usually Libya.

NGO groups describe conditions for the migrants there as "inhuman," with allegations of arbitrary detention, torture, rape and killings by human smugglers and security forces.</s>Leading U.N. humanitarian agencies warn migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea will multiply with the end of sea and rescue operations by Doctors Without Borders and its partner SOS Mediterranee.

The two international charities were pressured by the European Union to put their ship, the Aquarius into dry dock and abandon their life-saving rescue mission. 

 

 The Aquarius has been docked in Marseille, France, since early October after Panama revoked its registration at the behest of the right-wing, anti-immigration Italian government. 

 

 Italy claims these operations encourage migrants to make the perilous sea journey. It says ending these activities will save lives, a claim hotly disputed by U.N. officials.

 

 UN refugee agency spokeswoman, Shabia Mantoo, says search-and-rescue capacity needs to be reinforced rather than diminished. 

 

 "So, we do continue to call strongly for increasing search-and-rescue capacity in the Central Mediterranean and for leaving space for NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) to contribute in a coordinated manner to these efforts," said Mantoo. "Saving lives is our primary concern." 

 

 Since it began operations in February 2016, the Aquarius has helped nearly 30,000 refugees and migrants in distress find a safe haven. U.N. Human Rights Spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, tells VOA she is deeply concerned by recent developments. 

 

 "The provision of support and assistance to migrants must not be criminalized," said Shamdasani. "The decrease of search-and-rescue by humanitarian organizations and States failure to provide adequate search-and-rescue capacity is resulting in an increase of migrants, an increase of vulnerability of migrants at sea." 

 

 Shamdasani says the death rate in the Central Mediterranean this year is much higher than in previous years. She says States must protect the lives and safety of migrants and ensure those who are at risk are rescued and offered immediate assistance. 

 

 The International Organization for Migration reports more than 2,100 people have died making the dangerous sea crossing from Libya to Europe this year. This is nearly two-thirds of the more than 3,300 deaths recorded globally in 2018.</s>Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it has been forced to end rescue operations in the Mediterranean carried out by the vessel, Aquarius.

The medical charity blamed "sustained attacks on search and rescue by European states".

Aquarius has been stuck in Marseille since its registration was revoked.

It has helped save migrants making the dangerous crossing to Europe from Libya and elsewhere but has faced strong opposition, particularly from Italy.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has accused charities running rescue ships of collaborating with human traffickers operating out of Libya to run a "taxi service" to Italian ports.

Aquarius had been the last charity rescue ship still operating.

Announcing the decision to end its operations, MSF said EU countries, spearheaded by Italy, had failed to provide enough dedicated rescue capacity of their own, then had actively sabotaged the efforts of others trying to save lives in the Mediterranean, the BBC's Europe correspondent, Damian Grammaticas reports.

In a tweet, MSF Sea said "sustained attacks" by European nations "will mean more deaths at sea, and more needless deaths that will go unwitnessed".

Aquarius has been laid up in Marseille for months, after Panama revoked its registration - citing intense political pressure from Italian authorities.

Italy has kept up the pressure. Last month, prosecutors called for the seizure of the Aquarius over the alleged dumping of potentially toxic waste in its ports. MSF called the move "unfounded and sinister".

Migrant numbers reaching Italy have fallen significantly this year amid moves to dismantle smuggling networks in Libya and increase coastguard patrols.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) data says more than 2,000 people have died or are missing making crossings this year, compared to more than 3,000 last year.

The Aquarius began operations in 2015 and came to worldwide attention over the summer as Italy closed it ports to migrant rescue ships, leaving the ship stranded at sea with people rescued from the water.

Hundreds of migrants were eventually allowed to disembark in the Spanish port of Valencia in June, after being turned away by Italy and Malta.

Italian policy is that migrants discovered at sea should be returned to Libya by that country's coastguard.</s>The Aquarius migrant rescue ship is to end its operations in the Mediterranean, the humanitarian groups that chartered the boat said on Thursday.

The vessel has been stranded in Marseille since early October after Panama revoked the right to fly its flag following a request from Italy's far-Right, anti-establishment government.

Last month Rome also ordered the seizure of the Aquarius, which had been conducting rescue operations off Libya since 2016, for allegedly dumping toxic waste.

"This is the result of a sustained campaign, spearheaded by the Italian government and backed by other European states, to delegitimise, slander and obstruct aid organisations providing assistance to vulnerable people," Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement.

"Coupled with the EU's ill-conceived external policies on migration, this campaign has undermined international law and humanitarian principles. With no immediate solution to these attacks, MSF and SOS Mediterranee have no choice but to end operations by the Aquarius," it added.</s>The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says it has been forced to terminate its search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

It says a sustained campaign of obstruction by the Italian government brought about the decision to withdraw its rescue vessel Aquarius.

It says Italy has twice stripped the ship of its registration, and falsely accused it of criminal activities.

Over 2,000 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year.

Tom De Kok who is on board the Aquarius says forcing the MSF vessel out of the region will mean more lives are lost.

"Our work does save lives so if you ask me 'will our absence result in deaths?' the answer is unequivocally yes," said Mr De Kok.

MSF says the European Union is working to force migrants back to Libya - in contravention of international law.

"This has become a systematic delegitimisation of search and rescue activities," said Mr De Kok.

"The European Union Council agreement in June of this year said it would stand by Italy."</s>The last refugee rescue ship working in the Mediterranean Sea, Aquarius, has ended operations, French NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said, blaming harassment from Italy and other countries. “The end of our operations onboard the Aquarius will mean more death in the sea, deaths that are avoidable and without witnesses,” Nelke Mander, MSF’s general director, said late on Thursday. The decision to moor the Aquarius is the result of a “constant denigration, smearing and obstruction campaign led” against MSF and SOS Mediterranean by the Italian government and supported by other European countries, according to the NGO. The ship was commissioned in February 2016 and has rescued almost 30,000 people in international waters off Libya, Malta and Italy. She has remained moored in Marseilles since October 4, after transferring 58 migrants to Malta during her last mission, Reuters said.</s>Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the SOS-Mediterranee aid group say the migrant rescue ship they operate in the Mediterranean Sea is ceasing operations due to "sustained attacks" from European Union states.

MSF blamed Italy and other European states for smearing and obstructing the work of its chartered vessel Aquarius, which has helped rescue some 30,000 migrants in international waters between Libya, Italy, and Malta since February 2016.

"Not only has Europe failed to provide search and rescue capacity, it has also actively sabotaged others' attempts to save [the] lives" of migrants attempting to "flee by sea along the world's deadliest migration route," the Nobel Peace Prize-winning group said in a statement late on December 6.

In June, the Aquarius became a symbol of the political and diplomatic crisis over migrants in Europe when Italy closed its ports to the ship and left it stranded with 630 people on board.

"This is the result of a sustained campaign, spearheaded by the Italian government and backed by other European states, to delegitimize, slander, and obstruct aid organizations providing assistant to vulnerable people," MSF said.

"Coupled with the EU's ill-conceived external policies on migration, this campaign has undermined international law and humanitarian principles," the group said.

"With no immediate solution to these attacks, MSF and SOS-Mediterranee have no choice but to end operations by the Aquarius," it added.

Frederic Penard, director of operations for SOS-Mediterranee, said his nongovernmental organization was "actively exploring options for a new boat."

The Aquarius has remained in the French port of Marseille since October.

In November, Italy ordered the seizure of the ship as part of an investigation into allegations that it had passed off tons of potentially toxic waste as ordinary waste at Italian ports.

With reporting by BBC, AFP, and dpa</s>Search and rescue ship Aquarius, which has saved tens of thousands of migrants from drowning in the Mediterranean, has ended its operations, the charity that runs the ship, Doctors without Borders (MSF), said on Thursday.

MSF and its partner SOS Mediterranee said they were forced to terminate its operations due to a “smear campaign” by European governments.

The ship has been blocked at the French port of Marseilles since it lost its Panamanian registration at the end of September.

The Aquarius was the last charity rescue ship operating off of Libya. Last year there were five groups running rescue ships.

“This is a dark day. Not only has Europe failed to provide dedicated search and rescue capacity, it has also actively sabotaged others’ attempts to save lives,” said Vickie Hawkins, head of MSF UK, in a statement.

“The end of Aquarius means more lives lost at sea; more avoidable deaths that will go unwitnessed and unrecorded. It really is a case of ‘out of sight out of mind’ for UK and European leaders as men, women and children perish,” she said.

Nearly 5,000 migrants died in 2016 while trying to cross the Mediterranean from Africa and the Middle East to flee war and poverty, according to the UN agency International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The number of migrants reaching Italy has fallen sharply since last year as smuggling networks inside Libya, a key departure point for mainly sub-Saharan Africans, have been disrupted and the European Union has stepped up efforts to increase Libyan coastguard patrols.

Data by IOM showed that more than 2,000 people have drowned so far this year.

Italian magistrates in November accused MSF of illegally dumping toxic waste at ports in southern Italy and ordered Aquarius to be impounded.

The charity denied any wrongdoing and accused Italy of seeking to criminalise humanitarian search and rescue missions.

The public prosecutor’s office in Catania, Sicily, said it believed crew on the Aquarius, and its sister ship VOS Prudence, had illegally dumped potentially dangerous medical waste among ordinary rubbish between January 2017 and May 2018.

The Aquarius was launched in 2015 at the peak of the migrant crisis in Europe. – Reuters (Thomson Reuters Foundation)</s>The charity Médecins Sans Frontières has said it has been forced to end its search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

The organisation said a sustained campaign of obstruction by the Italian government and the EU had left it with no choice but to withdraw the rescue vessel MV Aquarius from service.

It accused Italian authorities of working to delegitimise, slander and obstruct aid organisations providing assistance to vulnerable people.

It said the Aquarius had been stripped of its registration twice this year and now faces “patently absurd” allegations of criminal activity.

It said the Aquarius had been forced to remain in port for the past two months as people continue to flee across the world’s deadliest migration route.

The charity’s general director Nelke Manders said EU attempts to discredit search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean over the past 18 months “have drawn on tactics used in some of the world’s most repressive states.”

“This is a dark day,” he said.

“Not only has Europe failed to provide search and rescue capacity, it has also actively sabotaged others’ attempts to save lives.

“The end of Aquarius means more deaths at sea, and more needless deaths that will go un-witnessed.”

Some 2,133 people are believed to have died in the Mediterranean this year.

The majority of people attempting the crossing from Libya to Europe do so on dangerous and overcrowded crafts.

The Aquarius, which has assisted nearly 30,000 people since 2016, was the last ship working to rescue stricken migrants in the region.

It’s after crackdowns by the Italian government forced several others to halt operations.

MSF said the EU states have fuelled the suffering by enabling the Libyan coastguard to intercept more than 14,000 people at sea this year and forcibly return them to Libya.

It said the policy was in “clear violation of international law” noting that in 2015, the EU pledged to ensure nobody rescued at sea would be forced to return to Libya.

A number of humanitarian vessels have been blocked from entering ports in Italy and Malta in recent months.

The stand-off has seen ships, including the Aquarius stranded at sea for days at a time with dwindling supplies and hundreds of people on board.

Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini has said other European countries to take on more responsibility in taking in migrants.

"Europe needs to seriously decide to help Italy in concrete terms," he said in August.

The International Organisation for Migration says 15,000 migrants have drowned in the central Mediterranean since 2013.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) rescue vessel Aquarius 2 ends migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, citing sustained attacks on search and rescue by European governments, particularly Italy.