Enough is Enough – Sea-Eye and Other Rescue Organizations Take a Stand

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The Justice Fleet Opposes EU-Funded Violence at Sea

After years of increasing human rights violations by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard in the Mediterranean, Sea-Eye—together with twelve other sea rescue organizations—is taking a decisive step: we are founding a new alliance. United, we are ending all operational communication with the so-called Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Tripoli, Libya. With this step, we are rejecting the growing pressure from the EU and the member state of Italy to cooperate with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard—an actor that, according to a new report, has committed over 60 brutal acts of violence in the past ten years.

On November 5, 2025, thirteen sea rescue organizations, including Sea-Eye, announced the founding of The Justice Fleet in Brussels—together with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and Refugees in Libya. Our goal is to consistently uphold human rights and international maritime law. Therefore, we stand against the coercion by European states to communicate with violent actors at sea. As a legally sound response, the alliance has decided to end all operational communication with Libya’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

Anna di Bari, Executive Board Member of Sea-Eye, emphasizes: “The Justice Fleet shows that we are a force to be reckoned with. While the EU and its member states continue to legitimize human rights violations, we are taking a stand. We are capable of action—especially at sea. We will not communicate with those who shoot at people seeking protection and at NGOs, or who massively undermine safety.”

The Justice Fleet unites legal, political, and public strategies. It defends people seeking protection and sea rescue operations against illegal pushbacks and pullbacks as well as state repression. Deportations to Libya constitute violations of international law at sea—something repeatedly confirmed by numerous European courts, from Italy all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

The newly launched website provides a comprehensive overview of extreme acts of violence committed by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, as well as the first compilation of court victories achieved by sea rescue organizations since 2023.

Alliance partners from Germany, France, Italy, and Spain include:
CompassCollective, Louise Michel, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Mission Lifeline, Pilotes Volontaires, RESQSHIP, r42 – sail and rescue, Sea-Eye, Sea Punks, Sea-Watch, Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario, SOS Humanity, and TOM.

SEA-EYE 5 rescues 57 people in acute distress at sea – Italy assigns distant port of safety

Kai Echelmeyer

Rescued people must wait days for disembarkation despite critical health conditions – Sea-Eye criticises Italy’s inhumane port policy

On Friday evening, the crew of the SEA-EYE 5 received an emergency call from the hotline for boatpeople in distress Alarm Phone. At around 3 a.m., after a long search in the dark, they were finally able to locate the wooden boat. By this time, water was already pouring into the overcrowded boat.

Early on Saturday morning, the crew of the rescue ship SEA-EYE 5 was able to rescue all 57 people in acute distress at sea and bring them safely on board. Those seeking protection had already been at sea for several days without food or water. Some of them were in urgent need of medical care and the situation on board was made even more difficult by poor weather conditions. Nevertheless, the Italian authorities assigned the distant Crotone as port of safety to the SEA-EYE 5.

“The medical situation after the night-time rescue was very critical. The 57 people had been travelling for days without food or water. Many were dehydrated, suffering from so-called fuel burns – chemical burns caused by a mixture of petrol and salt water – and extreme seasickness. Despite immediate treatment, their condition remained critical. From a medical point of view, the situation was life-threatening,” emphasises Dr Christin Linderkamp of German Doctors, who is in charge of medical care on the SEA-EYE 5.

Due to the critical situation on board, the crew twice requested the Italian authorities to assign a closer port of safety – both requests were rejected, however, and the people on board had to endure another 50 hours of crossing, during which they were unnecessarily exposed to further physical and mental strain. 

Yesterday morning, all 57 rescued persons were finally able to disembark safely in Crotone. However, this is not a happy ending, as Kai Echemeyer, deck manager of the current mission on the SEA-EYE 5 and member of the Sea-Eye board, emphasises:

“After an unnecessarily long and risky journey to a distant port, we were met with open aversion by Frontex and the coastguard upon our arrival. It is unbearable for us to see people who have just been rescued from drowning being met with mistrust and coldness in Europe. Even though we are grateful to have brought them to safety, we are left with the feeling of having to hand them over to a hostile environment. This treatment of people seeking protection is deeply inhumane.”

Sea-Eye once again criticises the practice of European authorities assigning civilian rescue ships to distant ports. These delays endanger the lives of those rescued and place an additional burden on crews and medical personnel.