Bayesian sinking highlights double standards in Med, say refugee NGOs

The tremendous resources and global attention dedicated to the tragedy of the Bayesian superyacht hint at a double standard for shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, several NGOs dedicated to assisting asylum seekers have said, citing the barriers they regularly face as they attempt to save lives in the same waters.

- Ashifa Kassam, Lorenzo Tondo

The NGOs who spoke to the Guardian were swift to express their regret and extend their sympathies for the seven people who lost their lives after the luxury vessel was hit by violent storms off the coast of Italy.

"For us, every death in the Mediterranean is one too many, no matter where they come from or how much money they make," the German humanitarian organisation Sea-Eye said in a statement to the Guardian.

The response to the Bayesian laid bare a jarring contrast, said the NGO, whose most recent mission rescued 262 people in the Mediterranean.

"Sadly, it makes a difference in the media, in our society and in politics, who is drowning: We have noticed that the coverage of the situation in the Mediterranean, of tragedies or of our rescues in recent months, has not been nearly as extensive as in the case of the Sicilian shipwreck in recent days," the organisation said.