International law imposes an obligation to render assistance to persons and ships in distress at sea, which must be provided regardless of the persons' nationality or status or the circumstances in which they are found. Nevertheless, over the last couple of years, the Mediterranean Sea has been the backdrop for the largest number of casualties and missing people. One solution, proposed by academics, could be the harmonisation of the fragmented legal regime for maritime interceptions.

EPRS podcast policy - Search and rescue in the Mediterranean