European Union ends rescue mission for refugees - World Socialist Web Site
▻http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/10/06/refu-o06.html
By Martin Kreickenbaum
6 October 2014
The European Union (EU) is responding to reports of horrendous numbers of refugees drowned in the Mediterranean by limiting measures to rescue them as much as possible. European governments have refused to allow the Italian maritime surveillance mission, Mare Nostrum, to continue its activities under its own management. Instead, only a stripped-down operation will be undertaken and this will not involve sea rescues. This decision makes it clear that the EU prefers to let refugees drown unaided, rather than admit them into Europe.
When two refugee boats sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa exactly one year ago, resulting in the horrendous deaths of some 500 people, the European Commission pledged that such a disaster would not happen again.