July 22, 2024 On Monday, we witnessed again an illegal interception of about 70 people, preceded by the repeated ignoring of the mayday relays. About 70 people tried to flee Libya in hopes of reaching Europe. We knew about their possible position and called the nearby merchant vessel MARIDIVE 703, asking whether the crew…
To ensure that refugees can access protection, states must guarantee the right to seek and enjoy asylum and uphold their commitments to the international refugee protection system. This obligation applies to all EU Member States under Article 18 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Yet, the recent and increasing attempts by the EU and…
Rachele is a legal specialist and part of Sea-Watch’s Italian team. For 20 months, she has been observing how the migration policy situation has worsened since Giorgia Meloni took office. Although the “sea blockade” Meloni announced during her election campaign has not been possible thanks to current international law, there is still great cause for…
The Airborne Annual Report 2023 provides an overview of the human rights violations we have documented in the central Mediterranean. The report analyzes the year 2023 in terms of migration policy, with a focus on the externalization of European borders and the control over them. Using exemplary cases, the main findings from 2023 are…
14 June 2024 – Over the weekend of 7th-8th June 2024, a new bloody catastrophe was revealed in the central Mediterranean when at least 17 bodies were spotted floating at sea. Twelve of them were retrieved by civilian Search and Rescue ships Geo Barents and Ocean Viking. The deaths indicate a shipwreck in which an…
