Yesterday, the crew was able to say goodbye to the last of the more than 400 rescued people, among them 150 children, in the port of Pozzallo and successfully complete the first rescue mission with our new ship SEA-EYE 4.

During the search for a port of safety and during the disembarkation of the rescued people, the Italian authorities showed their deep displeasure against us and the people seeking protection. Thus, Italy responded only two days after we had requested a port of safety and thereupon assigned us a port far off, imposing another two-day sea voyage on the weakened and partly traumatized people.

When the SEA-EYE 4 arrived at the port of Pozzallo, an inhumane tragedy began with the Italian operational forces in the leading role. An employee of the port authority first refused to come on board because he was afraid that the “migrants” would transmit diseases. Associating fleeing people with diseases is a widespread racist stereotype, with the purpose of devaluing people. This incident is not only shameful, but emblematic of the entire racist policy of isolation and deterrence of EU member states.

The low point was the forcible medical examination of infants.

Dr. Jan Ribbeck head of operations on the SEA-EYE 4 reported, “The medical staff on site performed forced PCR tests on toddlers through their noses in a most brutal way. They were screaming in pain. As a doctor, I cannot understand how one can treat young children in this way. In addition, it makes no medical sense to force such tests on children at such a young age.”

After two days the last rescued person left the SEA-EYE 4. Italy has once again shown itself from its worst side. We ask ourselves, what Italy would like to aim at with this inhumane and partly brutal proceeding. Does it think that this will persuade the EU states to a faster distribution of the refugees? Or does it think that we would stop our work? Why this harassment and violence against those seeking protection? Why are the EU member states fighting against refugees instead of finally doing something about the causes of flight? How many more people have to pay for this policy with their lives until it is realized in the European capitals that this policy of deterrence and isolation is inhumane?

The crew had already asked for a port of safety on Monday. It was not until two days later on Wednesday evening that the Italian authorities responded and assigned the SEA-EYE 4 to Pozzallo, Sicily. At that time, the SEA-EYE 4 was several nautical miles away on the other side of the Mediterranean island just outside the port of Palermo. Palermo’s mayor, Leoluca Orlando, had previously extended an invitation to the rescued people and crew to go ashore in his port.

“Due to the choice of the port of disembarkation Pozzallo, a great number of people had to spend two more nights sleeping on the steel floors of the SEA-EYE 4. EU countries are increasingly brutal in their treatment of people in need of protection and are harassing those who want to help them. It is simply appalling that Spanish soldiers are beating refugees back into the water and Italian parliamentarians are celebrating this in the context of our situation to propose the same treatment of our rescued people! Instead of fighting causes of flight, state actors are themselves attacking people who are fleeing. If the EU continues to tilt in this direction, then we can write off the 1951 Refugee Convention for good,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of the board of Sea-Eye e. V.

“The last seven days of our rescue mission have once more very clearly demonstrated the failure of the EU states. People regularly drown as they flee and thousands are forcibly returned to the civil war hell of Libya. No one in the governments of Europe seems to even think about respecting human rights anymore,” Isler said at the end of the rescue mission.

“We are happy that the medical care on board of the Sea-Eye 4 was successful and even an emergency evacuation was possible in time. We would like to thank our mission doctor Stefan Mees as well as the entire crew of the Sea-Eye 4 and our partners from United4Rescue for the successful rescue of more than 400 people. Now that the refugees have been allowed to go ashore, we appeal to the Italian authorities to allow them access to further medical and psychological care. This is indispensable, because many of the men, women and children are traumatized and in poor health,” says Dr. Christine Winkelmann, Executive Director German Doctors e. V.

The SEA-EYE 4 had rescued more than 400 people from boats unfit for the high seas in six rescue missions from May 14 to May 17, 2021. UNHCR reported that the so-called Libyan Coast Guard meanwhile prevented a total of 650 people from leaving the civil war country of Libya. Earlier media reports indicate that EU states are supporting these forced repatriations through their own task forces such as Frontex. The crew of the SEA-EYE 4 collected evidence on this themselves. On May 14, the crew reached an abandoned boat without any people, but during the operation they sighted a Frontex aircraft. And on May 17, the crew only became aware of a boat because a Frontex aircraft was circling not far from SEA-EYE 4, however, without directly informing Sea-Eye about the emergency at sea.