NGOs criticize EU’s ‘Double Standard’. News. Several NGOs helping asylum seekers have pointed out a clear double standard in how resources and attention are given to shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. They compared the response to the tragic sinking of the luxury super yacht Bayesian with the struggles they face while trying to save lives in the same waters.
These groups expressed their condolences for the loss of seven lives after the Bayesian was hit by storms off the Italian coast. However, they highlighted the stark contrast in how this incident was handled compared to the less-publicized tragedies involving migrants. The German NGO Sea-Eye noted that the media and political attention given to the Bayesian was far greater than what their recent rescue of 262 people in the Mediterranean received.
The Bayesian, which sank off Porticello, received immediate attention and rescue efforts, partly due to the presence of British tech magnate Mike Lynch onboard. Meanwhile, a distress call from a dinghy carrying 43 people in the central Mediterranean was ignored for days, even though lives were at risk.
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Sea-Watch, another German NGO, criticized the double standard in how authorities respond to different shipwrecks. They pointed out that while the Bayesian was rescued within 20 minutes, the dinghy was left to fend for itself for over 24 hours before NGOs could step in.
NGOs have faced challenges such as being criminalized, detained, and forced to travel to distant ports after rescues, making it harder for them to save lives. Pope Francis echoed these concerns, condemning the refusal to help migrants in need as a “grave sin.”
The NGOs also drew parallels between the Bayesian incident and the extensive rescue efforts for the Titan submersible, contrasting these responses with the lack of action for migrants. They emphasized that life-saving efforts should not depend on a person’s wealth or background. One NGO leader expressed his disappointment with the European Union, stating that it has lost the values it was founded on.