opinion
Even the Tagesschau on Sunday evening reported extensively on the case. Because it is indeed fierce what had happened in the sea off European shores: a large ship with 1373 inmates from 18 nations had come into distress and was driving unmaneuverable in the storm.
Fortunately, the rescue started immediately: helicopters flew the people out, 460 affected people were within a few hours in safety. All others later came ashore after experts had repaired three machines aboard. Everything went well again.
Unfortunately, stories with similar plots rarely ended so well in the recent past. There were usually no well-heeled tourists on cruise ships in need - but migrants in wobbly barges, on the way from the civil war Libya to Europe. Helicopters did not fly to their rescue.
Should one compare such cases with each other?
From a legal point of view: probably not. The passengers of the "Viking Sky" did not want to apply for asylum, but to enjoy their vacation. Her ship did not crash in international waters or legally questionable "search and rescue areas" near the North African coast, but directly in front of Norway's fjords.
Video: rescue operation on the "Viking Sky"
REUTERS
Why then contrast these only partially comparable cases anyway? Because comparisons are there to show differences and similarities - and because in this case, it becomes clear that there is still a dimension outside bureaucratic issues of asylum or maritime law.
It's about humanity: Why does the elaborate rescue operation in Norway seem so obvious, but the rescue aid for immigrants not? Can Europe credibly stand up for universal human rights and at the same time support that not every life is protected in the same way?
This is not a polemic: Italian authorities are increasingly hampering and preventing the rescue operations of private aid organizations in the Mediterranean by arresting and confiscating ships or placing helpers close to traffickers.
Humanity - for everyone?
The protest of the European partners against such methods is still manageable, and even more: the EU is pursuing an increasingly restrictive course in asylum policy and cooperates in anti-immigration even with Libya - although refugees in the civil war are abused, murdered, mutilated and raped.
All this is definitely more disturbing than the shaky mobile phone videos of the "Viking Sky" passengers: Last year, more than 2200 people died in the Mediterranean, since January, according to the UN drowned almost 300 more, a few days ago, a baby was killed.
What has the plight of cruise tourists in the Norwegian Sea to do with the plight of migrants in the Mediterranean? This is a treacherous, misleading question: because it's not about tourists and migrants, "people like us" and "these refugees." It's about people. To put people at mortal danger.
This must be made clear again and again in the debate on European asylum policy, in which hardly anyone participates - because apparently a large part of society has become accustomed to the status quo.
You do not have to demand to fly boat refugees from the central Mediterranean with helicopters to Europe. However, sophisticated civilizations would be well advised to prevent the avoidable death of their fellow human beings.
From all people.