Search and rescue

One of the world's earliest well-documented SAR efforts ensued following the 1656 wreck of the Dutch merchant ship Vergulde Draeck off the west coast of Australia.

Unlike traditional ground search and rescue workers, most US&R responders also have basic training in structural collapse and the dangers associated with live electrical wires, broken natural gas lines and other hazards.

The JRCC's jurisdiction spans Australia and as well as covering 52.8 million square kilometres of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans[15] constituting about 11% of the Earth's surface.

The JRCC also coordinates medical evacuations, broadcasts maritime safety information and operates the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP).

[53] On 1 March 2002, the JRCC took full responsibility for investigating, organising, coordinating and executing every SAR incident-operation in the Republic of Cyprus Search & Rescue Region (SRR).

[56] The JRCC reports directly to the operational control of the Ministry of Defence and it is staffed by qualified personnel of the Cyprus National Guard, mainly from the branches of the Navy and the Air Force.

With a focus on urban SAR, the unit operates specialised equipment, including a locally developed device for locating persons trapped under rubble by detecting seismic and acoustic emissions given off by the victims.

[114] The AFM, in close collaboration with the US Coast Guard, also runs a Search and Rescue Training Centre for International Students[115] in Maritime SAR Mission Co-ordination and Planning.

[120][121][122] Urban Search and Rescue falls primarily within the domain of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand, particularly the three USAR Taskforce groups based in Palmerston North, Christchurch, and Auckland.

The Navy currently has the largest SAR fleet of helicopters and also operates a number of small vessels for the purpose of rescuing crewmen of stricken ships.

[143] Coast Guard Administration (CGA; Chinese: 行政院海岸巡防署; pinyin: Xíngzhèngyuàn Hǎi'àn Xúnfáng Shǔ) is charged with maintaining coastal waters and the pelagic zone patrols, smuggling and stowaway crackdowns, maritime rescues, natural resource conservation, and public services.

The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of the Executive Yuan, though during emergencies it may be incorporated as part of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

[164] SAR standards adopted by agencies having jurisdiction are developed primarily by non-governmental organisations, including ASTM International and National Fire Protection Association.

Legal Legitimacy: This refers to compliance with international, regional, and national laws and regulations governing maritime safety, search and rescue operations, and the treatment of individuals in distress.

The duty to save lives, the principle of non-refoulement (not returning individuals to places where they might face persecution), and the broader humanitarian imperative underpin ethical legitimacy.

Challenges and controversies related to legal ambiguities, accusations against NGOs, pushback practices by some states, and public opinion can all affect the perceived legitimacy of these operations.

The Mediterranean Sea has, for many years, been a major route for migration, hosting numerous asylum seekers, refugees, and economic migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

UNCLOS does establish the legal basis for conducting such operations by outlining key principles and obligations related to maritime safety and search and rescue at sea.

This Principle simply requires that the coastal state carries out the SAR operations and brings them effectively to an end, i.e., not leaving the rescued persons (whatever their status) at sea.

Mirroring the 2004 adjustments to SAR, SOLAS was also amended explicitly to state that the duty to provide assistance “applies regardless of the nationality or status of such persons or the circumstances in which they are found”.

Frontex can be viewed as the EU’s attempt to implement “integrated border management” (IBM), which aims to introduce non-arrival measures and curb illegal migration.

An analysis of hot spot “Moria” on Lesbos, Greece, demonstrates that Frontex personnel not only monitors the border but also engages in migrant identification and registration.

[174] To facilitate the effective and efficient deployment of personnel and capabilities, Frontex also gathers intelligence and produces its own risk analyses, which address the (expected) situation at the EU external borders.

As its intelligence role is growing, the agency collects data from cross-border movements inside the EU and from entrance information that Member States and the various organisational partners provide (Den Boer, 2015; Takle, 2017).

At this moment, Frontex could even contribute to the reintroduction of border controls when a Member State does not comply with the recommendations that follow its vulnerability assessments (Scipioni, 2017).

Current studies on Frontex display strong links to the field of critical theory, migration law research and literature on EU public administration.

It is based on an understanding that the EU, an area of open borders and freedom of movement where countries share the same fundamental values, needs to have a common approach to implement transparent, effective and equitable procedures.

Within the context of CEAS, the Tampere Declaration set out the foundation for a comprehensive approach to migration by addressing political, human rights and developmental issues in countries and regions of origin and transit.68 Through this agreement with governments, legislative and policy measures were adopted at the EU level to set a framework to manage high influxes of displaced persons by accommodating persons in need of protection while supporting Member States experiencing pressure on their asylum systems.

After the first phase (from 1999 to 2005), Member States reflected on the functioning of CEAS and implemented improvements to the five legislations that govern the minimum standards of the European asylum system.

[176] Moreover, for EU member states participating in the Schengen Area, there are legal obligations and responsibilities for border control and management, including responding to situations at sea that may require rescue operations.