Thread by @Charles_Lister

2 children on the boat have died in recent days -- and the health of others are deteriorating.

To ignore such a tragedy, just off #Malta's coast, represents an unspeakable lack of humanity.

Time for someone to step up, @MaltaGov.

https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1566813406073593856

@MaltaGov That Syrians are still fleeing for #Europe is no surprise, particularly those in #Lebanon where authorities are preparing to *illegally force* them back to #Syria.

5+ million #Syria refugees remain in neighboring states & polling suggests ~0.5% would consider an eventual return.

@MaltaGov Why do almost all #Syria refugees refuse to consider any future return to #Syria?

The answer is obvious when you glance across basic facts -- see this thread from last week:

https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1565363329241161728

@MaltaGov UPDATE on the boatful of #Syria & #Lebanon migrants stranded off the coast of #Malta:

- x1 more child died yesterday (3 total, now)
- Contact with the ~60 passengers was lost overnight
- #Malta has banned a cargo ship from rescuing the boat & has refused to help itself.

WTH.

@MaltaGov Under intense pressure - particularly by foreign diplomats - #Lebanon detained x5 security officers yesterday for torturing a #Syria refugee to death.

He died of "severe torture" within 3hrs of his arrest on unknown charges.

And you wonder why Syrians are fleeing on boats?

@MaltaGov UPDATE -- 63 surviving passengers from a boat of migrants from #Syria & #Lebanon were finally rescued late Tuesday, not by #Malta but a cargo ship ("BBC Pearl").

A 4yr old girl died shortly after the rescue.

They issued an SOS on Saturday -- but were ignored for 4 days.

NEW -- 250 [mostly #Syria] refugees are stranded on a boat that left #Lebanon a week ago headed towards #Europe. A 3-month old girl has died of dehydration.

The boat has run out of fuel, food & water & is stranded in the #Mediterranean, off the coast of #Malta & #Greece.

Awful news -- a boat of migrants (from #Syria & #Lebanon) headed to #Cyprus has sunk off the coast of #Tartus, #Syria.

24 bodies recovered & 13 rescued.

Their rescuers? The people they were fleeing: #Assad's regime.

Just a terrifying, awful illustration of #Syria's tragedy.

Update -- 60+ bodies have been recovered off the coast of #Tartus, from a boat of migrants from #Syria & #Lebanon that sank yesterday.

Migrant movement has surged in recent months -- from #Lebanon by sea (to #Italy/#Greece), and from #Turkey by land (to #Bulgaria & #Greece).

The situation in regime-controlled areas of #Syria is deteriorating exponentially -- spiraling inflation, cholera outbreak, continued insecurity, political persecution & corruption.

Refugees are not returning & they will not return -- so #Europe is once again a live destination.

Renewed large-scale #Syria refugee movement is now a very realistic possibility -- and the international community *must* acknowledge why:

#Assad's regime remains in place, unchallenged & undeterred.

It's a simple truth, but all too easy to ignore, as it has been for 11yrs now.

Though a minor player compared to #Europe, the U.S. role in taking in #Syria refugees has been appalling -- from 2021-22, we've taken ~3,800.

As @Malinowski @RepMcGovern @RepLouCorrea & @RoKhanna recently wrote to @SecBlinken, we should be doing SO much better.