REPORT ON RESCUE AT SEA IN 1985
I.
INTRODUCTION
1. This Report analyses Rescue at Sea during 1985, paying particular attention to the effects and operation of the RASRO scheme. (It also includes the third "Quarterly Report on RASRO and Rescue at Sea", November 1985 - January 1986, which is appended as Annex 1.)
2. As with any annual report, statistical comparison with the previous year's performance will serve as a basis of analysis and as a justification for a conclusion couched in terms of success or failure. Such comparison can take two forms (a) simple figures, in this case the number of disembarkations and the number of refugees rescued, plus a "rescue rate" or (b) adjusted figures, to take account of such factors as the number of refugees in each rescued boat. This Report will provide both forms of comparison. The simple form is presented in Annex 2 and the adjusted form is presented in paragraphs 10 and 12.
3.
UNHCR has repeatedly quoted the "rescue rate" (numbers rescued compared to numbers of direct arrivals) which has been decreasing year by year from above 20% during the period 1979-1981, down to 15% in 1982, 12% in 1983 and 9% in 1984. No reference has been made to the number of disembarkations (an indication of the numbers of rescues), or to changing patterns of refugee exodus and rescue or patterns of maritime activity. The assumption has been made that rescue rate = rescue activity. This Report will suggest that this is not necessarily the case and that meaningful comparison, even between two consecutive years can only be made if situational change is taken into account. Thus for purposes of comparison, this Report adjusts statistics. Such adjusted figures have no reality; however adjusted comparison is considered to reflect better the real situation than simple comparison (which quotes real figures but does not necessarily reflect a real situation),
II.
4.
STATISTICS
Use of terms:
EXPLANATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS
RASRO : Rescue at Sea Resettlement Offers.
DISERO : Disembarkation Resettlement Offers.
DISERO-type: Vessels which would qualify for a DISERO guarantee if disembarking in a Southeast Asian port, but do not require such a guarantee because they disembark in Japan, or Korea.
A brief explanation of RASRO and DISERO schemes is attached in Annex 3.
Others: Rescues which do not involve disembarkation under RASRO or DISERO schemes, e.g. rescues by fishing boats and "mercy ships".
Mercy ships: Vessels which set out with the deliberate aim of rescuing refugees and carry out no commercial or military activity.