This factsheet provides a summary of political developments and operational updates regarding our ships and aircraft from July to December 2025.
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 with Libyan actors
- Frontex requested Sea-Watch to pay for legal costs, disregarding EU Parliament resolutions
- “Justice Fleet”: 13 SAR NGOs launch a new alliance and suspend communications with the Libyan Rescue Coordination Centre
2. Updates on our aerial operations with Seabird 1, Seabird 2 and Seabird 3
From July – December, we conducted 61 operations with our aircraft Seabird 1, Seabird 2 and Seabird 3, with a total flight time of 526 hours, equivalent to almost 22 days. We spotted approximately 5008 person in distress aboard 106 different boats.
Between July and December 2025, Sea-Watch’s aerial operations documented the systematic outsourcing of rescue operations by Italy and Malta to Libyan militias, such as the so-called Libyan coastguard, the GACS and the Tareq Bin Zayed brigade. Some even occurred from the
Maltese SAR zone and/or involved Frontex, even though NGO ships in the vicinity were operational. Furthermore, merchant vessels were left alone with boats in distress by European authorities or became complicit in illegal transshipments and pullbacks to Libya.
3. Updates on our operations at sea with Sea-Watch 5 and Aurora
Between July and December 2025, Sea-Watch 5 and Aurora’s crews were able to rescue 1117 persons in distress from 21 boats. Furthermore, Aurora’s crews assisted and secured 281 persons in distress on board 6 different boats, until the people were eventually rescued by Italian authorities.
