Closed petition Continue British involvement in search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea

Closed on 30 March 2015

We call upon the British Government to revoke its decision to withdraw support for future Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in the Mediterranean Sea.
This withdrawal will not reduce the number of people fleeing situations of conflict and persecution.
In recent years, people have persistently attempted this crossing in full awareness of its dangers. A conservative estimate suggests that this year alone, 2,500 people have died in the Mediterranean, despite the existence of the Italian rescue operation ‘Mare Nostrum’ which has rescued up to 150,000 people in distress.
Government figures such as Theresa May and James Brokenshire have made the political decision to abandon people in situations of distress. This political use of a predicted human tragedy as a deterrent to potential migrants is antithetical to humanitarian values and is simply not supported by the British public.
We are in favour of continuing the SAR missions which save the lives of those attempting to migrate by sea.