News

3 questions to the crew of the Sea-Watch 3 – Pt. 1

We ask 3 questions to the shipyard crew of the Sea-Watch 3. Emjay is on board as an electrician. Because the EU lets people die at sea, he helps to get the ship ready for its next mission. What is currently happening on board the Sea-Watch 3? After the politically motivated port state control by…

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Airborne Factsheet Merchant Vessels 2020

Merchant Vessel Involvement in Sea Rescue Operations Overview of relevant cases spotted by Airborne Operations in 2020 Due to the seizure of NGO vessels and the lack of a state-led European Search-and-Rescue (SAR) programme, operations which retrieve people from distress at sea currently rely primarily on the shipping industry. Captains and crews of merchant vessels…

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Airborne Monthly Factsheet October 2020

This factsheet outlines a summary of the distress cases witnessed in October 2020 by Sea-Watch’s Airborne crew from the aircraft Moonbird and Seabird.* In October 2020, due to criminalization measures against Moonbird, we were only able to fly 7 missions, with a total flight time of 61 hours and 05 minutes. We spotted around 217…

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Crimes of Malta 10

#CrimesOfMalta: The longest stand-off in the history of the Maltese rescue zone: European authorities deny a port of safety for more than five weeks to a merchant vessel that complied with its duty to rescue. 04.08.2020 – 12.09.2020: Watch The Med – Alarmphone was called by 27 people on board a boat in distress and…

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3 years later: remembering November 6th, 2017

On 6 November, 2017, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard caused the death of at least 20 people through the violent intervention against a boat in distress. The Sea-Watch 3 is witnessing the incident live at that time and tries to calm down the chaotic situation while dozens of people are already in the water. Our…

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Crimes of Malta 09

#CrimesOfMalta: Two boats are simultaneously in severe distress in the Maltese rescue zone. While 108 people on one boat are being rescued by a civilian oil tanker, 72 people on the other boat are being pushed back to Libya by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. 24.07.2020: An inflatable boat with 108 persons as well as…

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4 questions to the crew of the Sea-Watch 4 – Pt. 4

We asked 4 questions to the current crew of the Sea-Watch 4. Denise is on board as cook. For her, sea rescue is an act of solidarity that brings people together who stand up against the deadly politics of Europe. Why are you involved with Sea-Watch? Instead of only talking, I wanted to take action.…

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Crimes of Malta 08

#CrimesOfMalta: Malta delays the rescue of 63 people in imminent life-threatening danger by a whole night. 16.07. – 17.07.2020: “We are dying, we are dying! Nobody is helping us, there is just sea! Please help, help, help!” The people on board the boat in distress called the Watch The Med – Alarmphone in panic at…

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