Exactly this.
@ElleGray
Look up "mare Nostrum". The EU fixed this problem, after having made the decision that no one should ever have to die in boat accident in the Mediterranean. Then it became politically a liability to save brown and black people, so the whole thing was shut down, and we have EU countries where coast guards are actively pushing migrant boats away or passively watch them drown.
@mivey yes, I'm aware of this. It's part of the reason I quoted this tweet
@ElleGray wanted to also mention the name for peeps who might not already be aware of it, as it's not just a hypothetical thing. The EU had a working mechanism to save lives, with state-organised patrols to look out for anyone that needs rescue. Still kinda baffling to me, given how much money the EU is spending on other things.