Palermo / Rome / Berlin – Within a few days, two landmark rulings have confirmed the course of civilian sea rescue and put the far-right Italian government in its place. The government is currently planning to revive its 2018 policy of closed ports. It was this very policy that Carola Rackete rebelled against in 2019…
This factsheet provides a summary of political developments and operational updates regarding our ships and aircraft from July to December 2025. Download Full Report 1. Political developments The Italian authorities detain NGO aircraft and shut down civilian monitoring over the central Mediterranean Sea Over 60 incidents of violence at sea and yet the EU met…
Ahead of the vote in the European Parliament on 10 February, we, the undersigned organisations, urge the Members of the European Parliament to reject the proposed EU-wide list of so-called ‘safe countries of origin’. This list is an instrument to deny access to protection and to legitimize violence and persecution in these countries. One cannot…
After rescuing 18 people from distress at sea in international waters on 24 January 2026, Italian authorities have now detained the German rescue vessel Sea-Watch 5 for 15 days and imposed a financial penalty of €7500 on the organization Sea-Watch. The Italian authorities justify the detention of the vessel by alleging that the rescue organisation…
Brussels, 5 November 2025: After years of escalating human rights violations by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard in the Mediterranean Sea, 13 search and rescue organisations are taking a decisive stand: They are founding a new alliance and are suspending operational communication with the so-called Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Tripoli, Libya. With this step, the…
