The appalling loss of life in the Mediterranean Sea was an horrific tragedy, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday.
The High Commissioner expressed his condolences to those who have lost loved ones - 78 people are known to have died and up to 500 are missing, among them large numbers of women and children. He stressed his solidarity with the survivors and the families of the victims.
What happened on Wednesday underscores the need to investigate people smugglers and human traffickers and ensure they are brought to justice, the UN Human Rights Chief said.
The High Commissioner reiterated his call to States to open up more regular migration channels, enhance responsibility-sharing, ensure arrangements for the safe and timely disembarkation of all people rescued at sea, and establish independent monitoring and oversight of migration-related policies and practices.
