Witnesses not welcome: Civil reconnaissance aircraft blocked from operation

Berlin, 04.07.2018 The political offensive against monitoring and rescue missions in the Mediterranean continues: Now the civil reconnaissance aircraft Moonbird was blocked from operations as well. The aircraft is operated by Sea-Watch and the Swiss Humanitarian Pilots Initiative (HPI) and is supported by the Protestant Church of Germany (EKD). The Maltese authorities do not allow…

The obstruction of rescue services leads to another boat accident – death rate at record high

Anyone who obstructs rescue services is liable to prosecution, nobody would intentionally block an ambulance – but that is exactly what is happening: rescue ships are being blocked, with deadly consequences. According to UNHCR, another boat accident occurred yesterday, 114 people are missing. It is already the third since rescue ships have been blocked in…

Photo: Erik Marquardt

220 dead and counting: multiple drownings are a direct effect of the crackdown on sea rescue. Sea-Watch calls for humanitarian contingencies

The UNHCR reports that in the last three days approximately 220 have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. This spike in death toll caused the UN agency to call for more rescue capacity at sea, while European governments, with Italy in a leading role, do everything to avoid effective sea rescue. Sea-Watch warned on…