2014和2015年全球出现海上移民潮，主要集中在东南亚以及地中海海域。向这些人员提供的救助与火灾或沉船事故后进行的搜救作业没有区别。
根据一贯以来的海上传统，海员有义务救助任何海上遇难人员。《1974年国际海上人命安全公约》(SOLAS公约)明确规定，船长对此负有法律责任。
“有能力提供援助船舶的船长在接到来自任何方面的关于海上人员遇险的信息时，应全速前往提供援助，如有可能应通知遇险人员或搜救机构，本船正前往救援。”
详细信息请参阅附件。
Assisting Persons in Distress – Obligations and Indemnities
2014 and 2015 have seen great movements of migrants by sea, primarily in Southeast Asia and across the Mediterranean. Providing necessary assistance to these people is no different to search and rescue operations following fire or shipwreck.
By the immemorial custom of the sea, mariners have always been obliged to assist anyone in distress. This obligation is now set out in the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which places the legal obligation upon the Master:
“The Master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance, on receiving information from any source that persons are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance, if possible informing them or the search and rescue service that the ship is doing so”.
See attached file: Assisting Persons in Distress – Obligations and Indemnities.pdf
