At Least 700 Feared Drowned As Vessel Full of Immigrants Sinks Off Libyan Coast

"A Cry for Those in Peril on the Sea"  (Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard/ Photo Unit/flickr/cc)

By Antonio Denti
As many as 700 migrants were feared dead on Sunday after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean, raising pressure on Europe to face down anti-immigrant bias and find money for support as turmoil in Libya and the Middle East worsens the crisis.

RELATED STORY: Brutal New Trend - Human Smugglers Dumping Hundreds of Refugees Off Italian Coast — Leaving Them Adrift To Fend For Themselves

If the death toll is confirmed, it will bring to 1,500 the total number of people who died this year seeking to reach Europe - a swelling exodus that prompted Europe to downsize its seek and rescue border protection program in a bid to deter them. International aid groups strongly criticized the decision.

After news of Sunday's disaster several government leaders called for emergency talks and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said foreign ministers would discuss the immigration crisis at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. European Council President Donald Tusk said he was considering calling a special meeting of EU leaders, a summit that Renzi had called for earlier.

RELATED STORY: 'Let Them Drown At Sea' - The UK's Answer to the Influx of Refugees — 'Death as Deterrence'

Meanwhile Italian and foreign ships and helicopters worked into the night to find possible survivors. So far 28 people have been rescued and 24 bodies recovered, Italian authorities said.

The 20 meter-long vessel sank 70 miles from the Libyan coast, south of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, as a large merchant ship approached it. A survivor told the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR that 700 people on board, hopeful the ship would save them, moved to one side, toppling the boat.

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'Let Them Drown At Sea': The UK's Answer to the Influx of Refugees — 'Death as Deterrence'

UK dropping search and rescue efforts in Mediterranean wrong and cruel approach, rights advocates say

"A Cry for Those in Peril on the Sea"  (Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard/ Photo Unit/flickr/cc)

By Andrea Germanos
The UK's announcement this week that it would not support search and rescue operations to save migrants in the Mediterranean Sea is "appalling" and an affront to human dignity, a United Nations human rights expert has said.

RELATED STORY: Surge in Migrant Deaths Predicted as Italy Ends Mediterranean Rescue Program - Saved '400 Lives a Day'

The UK's declaration came out earlier this month in a statement to Parliament but was widely reported on Tuesday.

Carrying out search and rescue missions just encourages other migrants to take the perilous journey, the government said.

"We do not support planned search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean," Joyce Anelay, minister of state for the Foreign Office, stated.

"We believe that they create an unintended 'pull factor,' encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths," she said.

François Crépeau, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, stated Thursday that it essentially means the UK is willing to let migrants drown to serve as an ineffective migration deterrent.

"Governments that do not support the search and rescue efforts have reduced themselves to the same level as the smugglers," Crépeau stated. "They are preying on the precariousness of the migrants and asylum seekers, robbing them of their dignity and playing with their lives."

"Migrants are human beings and just like the rest of us they too have rights. They too have the right to live and thrive. To bank on the rise in the number of dead migrants to act as deterrence for future migrants and asylum seekers is appalling. It’s like saying, let them die because this is a good deterrence," he said.

"Moreover, the increasing number of persons fleeing from conflict, violence and oppression requires a new and concerted strategic approach by European States towards asylum seekers," he added.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK Director, also denounced the UK's dropping of supporting for search and rescue efforts, stating: "This is a very dark day for the moral standing of the UK."

"History will judge this decision as unforgivable. When the hour came, the UK turned its back on despairing people and left them to drown," Allen stated.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that 3,200 migrants have died so far this year attempting to cross the Mediterranean. In a report (pdf) issued last month, the organization states that the Mediterranean is "the deadliest sea in the world for migrants."

Reprinted with permission from Common Dreams.

The 'Happy' Videos of Middle East and North Africa — The 'Happy' Single by Pharell Williams Sparked 'Covers' Across the Globe

'Happy' - From Amman, Jordan. (Screen capture from YouTube video)

By Joey Ayoub
When Pharell Williams released his “Happy” single followed by the stunningly beautiful “24 hours of Happy“, who could have expected it to have influenced hundreds of covers from virtually all corners of the world? Well, people in the Middle East and North Africa were no exception. From Lebanon to Morocco, passing by Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunis, and Algeria, it seems like the MENA region is filled with people willing to just be happy and dance. So who are those happy Middle Easterners and North Africans?

They are random men and women of all ages, professions and backgrounds who have responded to Pharell Williams’ call to share their happiness with the world. So without further ado, here they are. We'll start with Lebanon and make our way West all the way to Morocco.

A huge thank you to the awesome people at WeAreHappyFrom.com for cataloging all Happy covers so far, and counting. Apologies in advance in case we missed your city.

Lebanon
No Label, a Lebanese anti-bullying campaign started by Nour El Assaad, produced this Beirut cover in cooperation with Rinov8 Group and Mad Beirut.

The latest from Beirut came from Blog Baladi's cover directed and produced by Joy Zeinoun. Other Beirut covers include Elias Abou Jaoude's Mazzat and this cover by ElNashra.

Cre8mania, a Lebanese interactive agency, produced this video shot in Beirut, Jounieh, Byblos, Dbayeh, Bourj Hammoud and Dora.

Bayt.com, a popular Job Opportunity website, produced its own cover. Lebanon was also represented by DirtyConverse27 and Gael Choueiry.

Jordan
The following video was done by BeAmman which, in its own words, “is a site that was borne out of a love and passion for the city Amman, and a desire to present Jordanians and visitors with all that the city has to offer – from people to meet, places to see and things to do, to the challenges and opportunities that exist in the city.”