Faced with the migration crisis which has turned the sea into a graveyard for sea migrants, this book addresses the issue by examining the international legal framework which enjoins States and other actors at sea to come to the rescue of migrants in distress at sea.

The book seeks to provide a legal argument which obliges the international community to protect even illegal migrants who willingly and intentionally endanger their lives at sea, while ensuring that these rights and obligations are not abused. Multifarious branches of International Law defend this position.