Ocean Viking: “It was a matter of life or death”, defends Clément Beaune


At the microphone of Sonia Mabrouk, Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, in charge of Transport, explained about the reception of 234 migrants on board the Ocean Viking , in Toulon after days of wanderings.

According to the minister, the reception of these refugees was “a matter of life or death”. “There was a boat that was very close to the French coast. We can regret the previous episodes. It was the reality. Faced with this exceptional and very serious situation, the question was to save or let die.”

“If we had had a few more days at sea, there would have been, I guarantee it, deaths. Is that what had to be done?”, adds Clément Beaune.

“Can we afford to make several days at sea for people who are in danger of death?”

According to the Minister, the reception of this boat is part of a broader government policy on refugees. “We have always said that we must return to the principles that we have built, that we have defended and that we have put in place since 2018, that is to say reception in the nearest port”, analyzes Clement Beaune.

He also responded to those who advocate a return of refugees to their country of origin. “Those who say ‘bring them back’, do they know where the boat is coming from? Where are they (the refugees) coming from? Can we afford to make people who are in danger do several days at sea of death ?”

“It’s not yet satisfactory”

The minister nevertheless defended the hardening of the government’s reception policy. “We cannot be blamed for everything and its opposite. We also have rules, renewals which are accelerating. It is not yet satisfactory. The Minister of the Interior has said it, we are going to have additional measures This is why we distinguish between people who have the right to asylum and people who do not have the right to stay on our territory”, explains the minister.

“We have reinforced European and internal border controls again this week with Italy, we had done it with Spain previously. This is why we are fighting at European level for a comprehensive policy, it is that is to say that we strengthen the controls on entry into Greece, Italy, Spain. We have to be firmer, including on visas with the countries of origin, it is this whole policy that we are carrying out”, continues the Minister.

Nevertheless, adds the minister, “when people are in immediate danger, we must save and then we need a firm and humane migration policy.”



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