Maritime Rescue in the Mediterranean Sea

The rescue of migrants and refugees in the central Mediterranean Sea between Libya, Malta and Italy has become a highly controversial issue in EU migration policy. At the centre of the debate is the question of whether and to what extent search and rescue (SAR) operations have a so-called "pull effect" on migration. Critics of SAR argue, for example, that the presence of rescue ships would increase the number of crossings and thus the number of fatalities in the Mediterranean. So far, however, this connection has not been empirically proven and has been little studied. Moreover, it conveniently ignores the reasons for migration (political instability, lack of opportunities, climate change, violence in Libya, etc.).

This project aims to contribute new insights into the role of SAR activities in migration movements and decision-making processes. Work package 1 (by DeZIM) analyses survey data (displacement tracking matrix, flow monitoring data) of arrivals in Italy and Malta provided by IOM as well as relevant macro data (economic development, dynamics of violence in Libya, weather, etc.). In work package 2 (by IMIS), interviews with experts and stakeholders will be conducted in Italy, Malta, Tunisia and Libya. For the analysis, all three data sets will be triangulated.