The Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights expresses its deep grief for the tragedy occurred in Pylos and the tragic death of hundreds of migrants under such conditions that flagrantly violate their fundamental human rights and human dignity. Our Foundation stands by the rescued persons and feels their pain for the loss of their next of kin. We encourage the continuing efforts of the Greek State to confront all difficulties and to offer the greatest relief possible to the survivors.

This tragic incident reveals at the same time the lacunae of the international and European legal frameworks with regard to protection; such lacunae do not seem to be duly treated since the recent consensus towards the adoption of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Effectively responding to the phenomenon of smuggling and trafficking in human beings, as well as running after the perpetrators, remain a great challenge. States and International Institutions are called to combine their powers beyond politics or other ambitions, in order to better confront the challenges such phenomena pose. We owe this to the memory of the victims.