The leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett, has responded to the news of hundreds of people drowning in the Mediterranean. The latest incident, in which up to 900 migrants died, comes as experts predict that this year more migrants will die crossing the Mediterranean than ever before. [1]
Last week the Green Party called for additional aid money to be given to agencies working to save lives in the Mediterranean. Natalie Bennett has reiterated her calls and demanded that David Cameron take responsibility for the unfolding tragedies.
Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, said:
"British foreign policy over decades, and particularly recent military interventions, has played a significant part in creating the instability that has driven so many people from their homes. That puts further responsibility on David Cameron to push for immediate EU action and provide Britain's share of the necessary resources."
Bennett went on to reiterate her earlier calls for emergency funding to aid workers in the region:
"Britain should immediately pledge funding to help with the search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean. We cannot simply stand by while hundreds of people drown in our contintent's seas. The charities saving people's lives in the Mediterranean must be properly resourced, and Britain must help with this.
"In the longer term we must push the EU into rebuilding a scheme to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean – we shouldn't have to rely on the heroic work of charities to undertake this basic humanitarian task.
"It's easy to forget that, behind all of the hard talk on migrants, are people who are desperately fleeing wars, hunger and disease. The next UK Government must accept more refugees from war-torn regions and invest in international policies that build peace and stability across the globe.
Only The Green Party is standing up to the vicious rhetoric on immigration – and pledging to spend 1% of GDP on international development."
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[1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/01/record-number-of-migrants-expected-to-drown-in-mediterranean-this-year