The secretaries general of 21 European Red Cross Societies, along with IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy, have called for more compassionate action on behalf of migrants after yet another series of sea disasters claimed the lives of thousands of people in the Mediterranean Sea. “We need to recognize that the plight of migrants also constitutes a humanitarian emergency,” the secretaries general wrote in a public opinion piece, published in May. The secretaries general rejected the argument that easing the journey could be ‘pull factor’ that encourages even more migration: “We in the Red Cross urge our governments to rise above such rhetoric, recognize that migration is a fact of life, and meet their obligations under international law.”

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