For the right to move. For the right to arrive.For the right to stay. For the right to freedom of movement.
For over a decade, European migration policies have turned the Mediterranean into a graveyard. Since 2014, more than 33,000 people — individuals with families, dreams, and futures — have died seeking safety. Where states choose repression over protection, civil society acts. Since 2015, Sea-Watch has provided life-saving assistance where governments have abandoned their duty.
LEARN. SHARE. SUPPORT.
SPEAK UP – SPREAD THE WORD.
DONATE.
LEARN. SHARE. SUPPORT.
SPEAK UP – SPREAD THE WORD.
DONATE.
In a climate of rising hate, this campaign highlights not just the violence at our borders, but the courage and joy of those who cross them. Together with Lush, we demand a world where everyone is free to move. Deaths at sea are political decisions, and these decisions can be changed.
Freedom of movement is not a utopia; it is a realistic choice. Solidarity does not end at artificial borders.<
Subscribe to the Sea-Watch newsletter now to stay informed about political developments and our work, or donate to our missions.
In a climate of rising hate, this campaign highlights not just the violence at our borders, but the courage and joy of those who cross them. Together with Lush, we demand a world where everyone is free to move. Deaths at sea are political decisions, and these decisions can be changed.
Freedom of movement is not a utopia; it is a realistic choice. Solidarity does not end at artificial borders.
Subscribe to the Sea-Watch newsletter now to stay informed about political developments and our work, or donate to our missions.
PROTECT PEOPLE,
NOT BORDERS.
PROTECT PEOPLE,
NOT BORDERS.
Citizens of the European Union can travel almost everywhere, whenever they want. People from large parts of Asia, Africa and the Pacific, however, face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. Even those fleeing war, persecution, the effects of climate change or economic hardship often have no safe and legal way to reach Europe and claim asylum. Taking a boat across the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic becomes their only option.
Since 2014, more than 33,000 people have drowned while attempting to do so. European states intentionally chose to let them die. And even if they survive the dangerous journey, they are often met with wrongful criminalisation instead of protection. Thousands of people are imprisoned in the EU simply for helping out during the journey, such as by distributing water. Yes, that’s right: only for sharing water with their peers on a boat in distress under the burning sun.
Sea-Watch is a search and rescue organization committed to saving lives in the Mediterranean sea. We rescue people in distress when boats are overcrowded, unable to navigate, lose their engine or are capsizing. We are documenting human rights violations from the air and are demanding political change – fierce and loud. Since 2015, we have supported more than 50,000 people with our work.
But the danger does not stop once people reach the European shore. People fleeing across the sea are systematically arrested and imprisoned after arrival and accused of ‘smuggling’, often after surviving a traumatic shipwreck. There is often no evidence, no translation and no legal support. Unfortunately, too few people know about the fact that innocent people are imprisoned after fleeing across the sea.
Most of those accused of ‘smuggling’ are people who are fleeing themselves. They are forced to steer a boat because they cannot afford the journey any other way, or simply because they find themselves in the middle of the sea without anybody else capable of driving the boat. There is no other way to migrate to the EU – no driver, no survivor.
Upon arrival, they are arrested and detained, facing lifelong prison sentences, heavy fines and long periods of isolation. They have no support network, no money and no public attention. Many spend months in pre-trial detention without access to proper legal representation or translation of their case. Sometimes they do not even understand why they have been detained. Most have no means of contacting the outside world or their families and are left isolated and alone.
To make matters worse, trials often last only a few minutes, resulting in sentences of up to life imprisonment. Verdicts are issued without evidence being examined or witnesses being heard.
Since 2015, “fighting smuggling” has been a key focus of EU migration policy. This is presented as a necessary step to “protect people from exploitation and violence”. However, those blamed for smuggling are most often people who are fleeing themselves. It becomes clear that the well-being of people fleeing is not the EU’s real concern. In reality, it is people fleeing who are systematically criminalised for the sole fact of trying to flee to safety. Even steering a boat or performing other simple tasks, such as distributing water, can result in imprisonment. In this way, the EU aims at scaring people away from driving a boat to safety – even if that means people are drowning.
Through this campaign, we at Sea-Watch also want to highlight organizations working in support of people wrongfully imprisoned after arriving on land. One of them is the organization de:criminalize.
What de:criminalize does:
Between 2020 and 2025, de:criminalize was able to support more than 100 individuals. Today, de:criminalize is a central contact point for people on the move affected by criminalization across Europe – and the need for support is ever-growing: Every year, hundreds are arrested across the EU. In Greece alone, more than 2,000 people are imprisoned.
Sea-Watch and de:criminalize are working alongside each other to not only rescue people from distress at sea, but also support everyone claiming their right to asylum on land. While Sea-Watch focuses on saving lives at sea, de:criminalize works on land, supporting those unjustly prosecuted after arrival.
We want freedom of movement for all.
Sea-Watch is a search and rescue organization committed to saving lives in the Mediterranean sea. We rescue people in distress when boats are overcrowded, unable to navigate, lose their engine or are capsizing. We are documenting human rights violations from the air and are demanding political change – fierce and loud. Since 2015, we have supported more than 50,000 people with our work.
But the danger does not stop once people reach the European shore. People fleeing across the sea are systematically arrested and imprisoned after arrival and accused of ‘smuggling’, often after surviving a traumatic shipwreck. There is often no evidence, no translation and no legal support. Unfortunately, too few people know about the fact that innocent people are imprisoned after fleeing across the sea.
Most of those accused of ‘smuggling’ are people who are fleeing themselves. They are forced to steer a boat because they cannot afford the journey any other way, or simply because they find themselves in the middle of the sea without anybody else capable of driving the boat. There is no other way to migrate to the EU – no driver, no survivor.
Upon arrival, they are arrested and detained, facing lifelong prison sentences, heavy fines and long periods of isolation. They have no support network, no money and no public attention. Many spend months in pre-trial detention without access to proper legal representation or translation of their case. Sometimes they do not even understand why they have been detained. Most have no means of contacting the outside world or their families and are left isolated and alone.
To make matters worse, trials often last only a few minutes, resulting in sentences of up to life imprisonment. Verdicts are issued without evidence being examined or witnesses being heard.
Since 2015, “fighting smuggling” has been a key focus of EU migration policy. This is presented as a necessary step to “protect people from exploitation and violence”. However, those blamed for smuggling are most often people who are fleeing themselves. It becomes clear that the well-being of people fleeing is not the EU’s real concern. In reality, it is people fleeing who are systematically criminalised for the sole fact of trying to flee to safety. Even steering a boat or performing other simple tasks, such as distributing water, can result in imprisonment. In this way, the EU aims at scaring people away from driving a boat to safety – even if that means people are drowning.
Through this campaign, we at Sea-Watch also want to highlight organizations working in support of people wrongfully imprisoned after arriving on land. One of them is the organization de:criminalize.
What de:criminalize does:
Between 2020 and 2025, de:criminalize was able to support more than 100 individuals. Today, de:criminalize is a central contact point for people on the move affected by criminalization across Europe – and the need for support is ever-growing: Every year, hundreds are arrested across the EU. In Greece alone, more than 2,000 people are imprisoned.
Sea-Watch and de:criminalize are working alongside each other to not only rescue people from distress at sea, but also support everyone claiming their right to asylum on land. While Sea-Watch focuses on saving lives at sea, de:criminalize works on land, supporting those unjustly prosecuted after arrival.
We want freedom of movement for all.
SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS
SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS
Sea-Watch has been active in the central Mediterranean since 2015, rescuing people in distress at sea and standing in solidarity with people on the move. To date, we have been involved in the rescue of over 50,000 people.
Do you want to take action, too? Support us with your donation.
LEARN. SHARE. SUPPORT.
SPEAK UP – SPREAD THE WORD.
DONATE.
LEARN. SHARE. SUPPORT.
SPEAK UP – SPREAD THE WORD.
DONATE.
For the right to move. For the right to arrive.For the right to stay. For the right to freedom of movement.
For over a decade, European migration policies have turned the Mediterranean into a graveyard. Since 2014, more than 33,000 people — individuals with families, dreams, and futures — have died seeking safety. Where states choose repression over protection, civil society acts. Since 2015, Sea-Watch has provided life-saving assistance where governments have abandoned their duty.
In a climate of rising hate, this campaign highlights not just the violence at our borders, but the courage and joy of those who cross them. Together with Lush, we demand a world where everyone is free to move. Deaths at sea are political decisions, and these decisions can be changed.
Freedom of movement is not a utopia; it is a realistic choice. Solidarity does not end at artificial borders.
PROTECT PEOPLE,
NOT BORDERS.
PROTECT PEOPLE,
NOT BORDERS.
Citizens of the European Union can travel almost everywhere, whenever they want. People from large parts of Asia, Africa and the Pacific, however, face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. Even those fleeing war, persecution, the effects of climate change or economic hardship often have no safe and legal way to reach Europe and claim asylum. Taking a boat across the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic becomes their only option.
Since 2014, more than 33,000 people have drowned while attempting to do so. European states intentionally chose to let them die. And even if they survive the dangerous journey, they are often met with wrongful criminalisation instead of protection. Thousands of people are imprisoned in the EU simply for helping out during the journey, such as by distributing water. Yes, that’s right: only for sharing water with their peers on a boat in distress under the burning sun.
Sea-Watch is a search and rescue organization committed to saving lives in the Mediterranean sea. We rescue people in distress when boats are overcrowded, unable to navigate, lose their engine or are capsizing. We are documenting human rights violations from the air and are demanding political change – fierce and loud. Since 2015, we have supported more than 50,000 people with our work.
But the danger does not stop once people reach the European shore. People fleeing across the sea are systematically arrested and imprisoned after arrival and accused of ‘smuggling’, often after surviving a traumatic shipwreck. There is often no evidence, no translation and no legal support. Unfortunately, too few people know about the fact that innocent people are imprisoned after fleeing across the sea.
Most of those accused of ‘smuggling’ are people who are fleeing themselves. They are forced to steer a boat because they cannot afford the journey any other way, or simply because they find themselves in the middle of the sea without anybody else capable of driving the boat. There is no other way to migrate to the EU – no driver, no survivor.
Upon arrival, they are arrested and detained, facing lifelong prison sentences, heavy fines and long periods of isolation. They have no support network, no money and no public attention. Many spend months in pre-trial detention without access to proper legal representation or translation of their case. Sometimes they do not even understand why they have been detained. Most have no means of contacting the outside world or their families and are left isolated and alone.
To make matters worse, trials often last only a few minutes, resulting in sentences of up to life imprisonment. Verdicts are issued without evidence being examined or witnesses being heard.
Since 2015, “fighting smuggling” has been a key focus of EU migration policy. This is presented as a necessary step to “protect people from exploitation and violence”. However, those blamed for smuggling are most often people who are fleeing themselves. It becomes clear that the well-being of people fleeing is not the EU’s real concern. In reality, it is people fleeing who are systematically criminalised for the sole fact of trying to flee to safety. Even steering a boat or performing other simple tasks, such as distributing water, can result in imprisonment. In this way, the EU aims at scaring people away from driving a boat to safety – even if that means people are drowning.
Through this campaign, we at Sea-Watch also want to highlight organizations working in support of people wrongfully imprisoned after arriving on land. One of them is the organization de:criminalize.
What de:criminalize does:
• connecting people with lawyers
• documenting cases and trials
• supporting families
• assistance in prison
• public campaigning
• fundraising for legal costs
Between 2020 and 2025, de:criminalize was able to support more than 100 individuals. Today, de:criminalize is a central contact point for people on the move affected by criminalization across Europe – and the need for support is ever-growing: Every year, hundreds are arrested across the EU. In Greece alone, more than 2,000 people are imprisoned.
Sea-Watch and de:criminalize are working alongside each other to not only rescue people from distress at sea, but also support everyone claiming their right to asylum on land. While Sea-Watch focuses on saving lives at sea, de:criminalize works on land, supporting those unjustly prosecuted after arrival.
We want freedom of movement for all.
