This factsheet provides a summary of political developments and operational updates regarding our ships and aircraft from January to July 2026. Download Full Report Table of Content Executive summary Operational findings from our aerial operations A. Overview of our aircraft’s documentation B. Main operational trends Political developments Selected cases from aerial monitoring and maritime operations…
DetailsAfter the search and rescue organisation SOS Méditerranée discovered 11 bodies in international waters in the Mediterranean on Friday, 14 August, Sea-Watch’s monitoring aircraft Seabird 1 and the rescue organization RESQSHIP found three more bodies over the weekend. The crew spotted the corpses on Saturday, 15 August. Following the discoveries, the rescue vessels Sea-Watch 5 and Nadir sailed to the bodies…
DetailsBackground to the Phenomenon and Its Impact on Civil Search and Rescue Since early 2024, civil rescue vessels (as well as merchant ships) in the central Mediterranean have increasingly encountered boats carrying people on the move that display certain distinctive features and pose additional challenges for crews. These boats are generally in comparatively better condition…
DetailsLe 11 mai, l’équipage du Sea-Watch 5 a secouru un bateau en détresse dans les eaux internationales et a mis tout le monde à bord en sécurité, tout en tenant les autorités informées tout au long de l’opération. Une campagne de diffamation, actuellement orchestrée par l’extrême droite, induit le public en erreur et propage de…
DetailsOn May 11, Sea-Watch 5’s crew rescued a boat in distress in international waters and brought everyone aboard to safety, keeping authorities informed throughout the operation. A smear campaign currently being waged misleads the public and spreads disinformation. In the morning hours of May 11, the crew spotted a boat in distress on the horizon…
DetailsBerlin, 7 July 2026 – On 3 July, the Sea-Watch 5 departed for a rescue mission in the central Mediterranean for the first time since it was fired upon in May. At the same time, Sea-Watch filed an urgent application with the Berlin Administrative Court seeking to oblige the German government to take effective measures…
DetailsOn 29 June, the new Netflix film “23,000 Lives” will have its world premiere at Filmfest München. From 17 July, it will be available worldwide on Netflix. The film tells the story of the Iuventa, a German rescue ship that saved people fleeing across the central Mediterranean until Italian authorities seized the vessel and brought…
DetailsThe notorious former Libyan prison director Osama Najim, known as Almasri, was sentenced on 21 June 2026 by the Criminal Court in Tripoli, Libya, to seven years and four months in prison for “violating the rights of prisoners”. Italy’s right wing is celebrating the verdict, claiming that justice has run its course and that the…
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