VOA标准英语2013--Malta Forced to Cancel Repatriation of African Refugees

 

Malta Forced to Cancel Repatriation¹ of African Refugees

Tired, hungry and dehydrated, 68 migrants who'd set sail from Libya were rescued by Maltese patrol boats Wednesday 50 kilometers off the coastline, after their vessel² lost power.   It's the second migrant boat to arrive in as many days.

Maltese authorities had intended to send two planes back to Libya carrying 45 Somali migrants who had arrived Tuesday.  But the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling banning the repatriations.

The migrants must be given the chance to apply for asylum³, says Katrine Camilleri, a Maltese lawyer from the Jesuit Refugee Service.

"They were well within Maltese jurisdiction⁴, so all our national obligations and also our obligations in terms of European law and the European Convention on Human Rights clearly apply. Libya is unable to guarantee protection from cruel and degrading treatment or punishment to migrants in its territory," said Camilleri.

Authorities say more than 400 migrants have arrived on the island in the past week, including babies, pregnant women and three men with gunshot wounds. Most are Eritrean or Somali.

The European Court of Human Rights declared illegal in 2009 the practice of so-called 'push back' - where migrants are forced to return where they came from.

Malta's prime minister told reporters that the repatriations would send a 'message that we are not pushovers'.

"Given the situation in Libya, we believe that forced returns or push backs are not an option," said Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commission for Refugees.

Malta has accused the European Union of a lack of solidarity⁵ in failing to help with the refugee influx⁶.

The United Nations says around 8,400 refugees have landed in Italy and Malta so far this year - double the number in the same period last year.

"It is really important to recognize the important work that the Italian Coast Guard and the Maltese armed forces are doing in preventing more tragedies in the Mediterranean," said Mehecic.  "And just for comparison, last year we had about 500 deaths registered at sea. This year in the first six months, only 40, and it's all thanks to the good coordination⁷ effort of rescue at sea," he said.

On Monday a flotilla of fishing boats welcomed Pope Francis to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where tens of thousands of migrants have landed in recent years.

Pope Francis gave a mass to commemorate⁸ the thousands of migrants who have died on the journey.

"I thought I needed to come here today to pray," he said. "To carry out a gesture of closeness and to re-awaken our consciousness, so what has happened never happens again, never again please."

The summer months traditionally see a surge in migrant arrivals fleeing war and poverty at home. The vessels⁹ are often hugely overcrowded and in poor condition. Many do not reach their destination. 

1 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

2 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

5 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

6 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

7 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

8 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

9 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》