Germany to cut funds for Mediterranean migrant rescues, sparking outcry
BERLIN, June 26 — Germany's conservative-led government will stop funding groups that rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, a foreign ministry source said Wednesday, prompting opposition parties to warn that the decision could worsen a 'humanitarian crisis'.
'The federal government does not plan to provide further financial support to non-governmental organisations involved in civilian sea rescue,' the source told AFP.
The foreign ministry under the previous coalition, headed by the Greens minister Annalena Baerbock, had provided substantial financial support for NGOs that rescue migrants seeking to head to Europe from Africa, often in rickety boats.
That had drawn criticism from the centre-right CDU party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz that took power in May, and sparked a row with Rome since many of the rescued migrants were brought ashore in Italy.
In 2024, the German government provided €2 million (RM9.9 million) in funding to organisations including SOS Humanity and SOS Mediterranee for conducting rescues of migrants who ran into trouble in the Mediterranean, the ministry source said.
In the first quarter of this year, sea rescue NGOs received about €900,000 in government funding, it said.
The withdrawal of funding comes as Merz's new government pursues a crackdown on irregular immigration, seeking to combat the growing appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The Green party criticised the move as a 'disastrous decision by the CDU' and its junior coalition partner, the centre-left SPD.
'The coalition is predictably exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and causing human suffering,' Greens lawmaker Britta Hasselmann told AFP.
Gorden Isler, chairman of the sea rescue NGO Sea-Eye, said the move sent a 'catastrophic signal'.
Financial support for Sea-Eye had helped the group conduct 'missions and saved lives. Now we might have to remain in port despite emergencies at sea,' he said. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
EU weighs fast-track US trade deal as July 9 tariff deadline nears, mulls digital tax and countermeasures
EU leaders prefer quick trade deal with US despite unfavourable terms EU faces US tariffs, seeks rebalancing measures EU considers digital tax on US tech giants as rebalancing option BRUSSELS, June 26 — European Union leaders are to tell the European Commission today if they want a quick trade deal with the United States at the cost of Washington getting better terms, or to escalate the fight in hope of something better. A quick deal seems to be the preferred option for most, officials and diplomats said, as the EU can then seek to address the unfavourable bias with some rebalancing measures of its own. The Commission, which negotiates trade agreements on behalf of the EU, will ask leaders of the EU's 27 members meeting in Brussels how they want to respond to President Donald Trump's July 9 deadline for a deal, now less than two weeks away. The bloc has said it is striving for a mutually beneficial agreement, but as Washington looks set to stick to its 10 per cent across-the board tariffs on most EU goods and threatening higher rates with prolonged talks, EU diplomats said a growing number of EU countries were now favouring a quick resolution. 'It is... in everyone's interest that the trade conflict with the United States does not escalate further,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday in parliament. 'I know that the European Commission is negotiating with great caution in this regard, and it has our full support. I hope that we will reach a solution with the United States by the beginning of July,' Merz said. The bloc is already facing US import tariffs of 50 per cent on its steel and aluminium, 25 per cent for cars and car parts, along with a 10 per cent tariff on most other EU goods, which Trump has threatened could rise to 50 per cent without an agreement. The United States' only completed trade deal to date is with Britain, with the broad 10 per cent tariff still in place. US officials say it will not go lower for any trading partner. Some 23 of the leaders will come to Brussels straight from the Nato summit in the Hague. Few will want to follow accord there with an economic war. 'There is a group of EU countries that want to protect companies by seemingly accepting something they have gotten used to — a 10 per cent baseline,' one EU diplomat said. Rebalancing measures One question EU leaders face is whether it should respond with its own measures to such a baseline tariff. 'We are also prepared for that with a range of options,' Merz said. The European Union has agreed, but not imposed, tariffs on 21 billion euros of US goods and is debating a further package of tariffs on up to 95 billion euros of US imports. Some EU countries favour watering it down. 'The Commission has rightly said that some member states are nibbling away too much, which would weaken these rebalancing measures,' one EU diplomat. Among the EU rebalancing options is a tax on digital advertising, which would hit US giants like Alphabet Inc's Google, Meta, Apple, X or Microsoft and eat into the trade surplus in services the US has with the EU. The bloc has a trade surplus with the US in goods. The Commission has proposed an EU-US deal to cut respective tariffs on industrial goods to zero, along with potential further EU purchases of liquefied natural gas and soybeans. Washington has shown little obvious interest, preferring to highlight items it considers as barriers, such as EU value-added tax, environmental standards and rules on online platforms, on which the EU does not want to move. On the sidelines of the summit, EU leaders will also seek to allay the concerns of Slovakia and Hungary over ending their access to Russian gas as foreseen by the EU's plan to phase out all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. EU diplomats said EU leaders' assurances over gas should allow the two countries to back the EU's 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which they are now blocking. The sanctions could be adopted by EU governments tomorrow. But the EU might have to drop from the package its proposal to lower the price cap on Russian seaborne oil to US$45 (RM190) per barrel from the current US$60, because the measure has failed to win the support of the US and EU countries with big oil shipping industries — Greece, Malta and Cyprus — are also against it. — Reuters
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Germany to cut funds for Mediterranean migrant rescues, sparking outcry
BERLIN, June 26 — Germany's conservative-led government will stop funding groups that rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, a foreign ministry source said Wednesday, prompting opposition parties to warn that the decision could worsen a 'humanitarian crisis'. 'The federal government does not plan to provide further financial support to non-governmental organisations involved in civilian sea rescue,' the source told AFP. The foreign ministry under the previous coalition, headed by the Greens minister Annalena Baerbock, had provided substantial financial support for NGOs that rescue migrants seeking to head to Europe from Africa, often in rickety boats. That had drawn criticism from the centre-right CDU party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz that took power in May, and sparked a row with Rome since many of the rescued migrants were brought ashore in Italy. In 2024, the German government provided €2 million (RM9.9 million) in funding to organisations including SOS Humanity and SOS Mediterranee for conducting rescues of migrants who ran into trouble in the Mediterranean, the ministry source said. In the first quarter of this year, sea rescue NGOs received about €900,000 in government funding, it said. The withdrawal of funding comes as Merz's new government pursues a crackdown on irregular immigration, seeking to combat the growing appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The Green party criticised the move as a 'disastrous decision by the CDU' and its junior coalition partner, the centre-left SPD. 'The coalition is predictably exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and causing human suffering,' Greens lawmaker Britta Hasselmann told AFP. Gorden Isler, chairman of the sea rescue NGO Sea-Eye, said the move sent a 'catastrophic signal'. Financial support for Sea-Eye had helped the group conduct 'missions and saved lives. Now we might have to remain in port despite emergencies at sea,' he said. — AFP
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Rally legend Sainz Sr pulls out of FIA presidency race, says present circumstances ‘not ideal'
MADRID, June 26 — Two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr said yesterday he was not going to run for president of the International Motoring Federation (FIA), clearing the way for Mohammed Ben Sulayem's re-election. Sainz, the father of Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr, last month said he was considering running for the position as head of motorsport's governing body. 'I have finally decided not to run for the presidency of the FIA in this year's election,' the 63-year-old Sainz wrote in a message on social media. 'I have worked hard these past months to understand in depth the situation at the FIA and the demands and complexities that come with such an important project. 'After thoughtful reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy.' Sainz, a four-time winner of the Dakar Rally, said he also did not want his preparations for next year's race to be affected by a bid for the FIA presidency. There is as yet no official opponent for current FIA boss Ben Sulayem in the December 12 election. However, his presidency has been punctuated by controversy following the resignations of several of the FIA's key senior staff and his moves to ban all swearing by F1 drivers. — AFP
