The German Parliament’s Budget Committee is cutting financial support for civil sea rescue operations from 2025

A quiet decision during the parliamentary summer recess that dangerously reduces the chances of survival for people fleeing.

Context & background

• The German federal government, made up of the CDU/CSU and SPD, plans to completely withdraw the annual funding of around two million euros to organisations such as Sea-Eye, SOS Humanity, Sant’Egidio and others from 2026. 
• Now, the Budget Committee has decided that financial support for civil sea rescue operations should already be withdrawn this year. According to the Foreign Office, the amount was still around 900,000 euros in the first quarter of 2025, which means that organisations will have to fill a gap of around 1.1 million euros in 2025.
• Sea-Eye warned that the loss of government support could lead to missions being cancelled and rescue ships possibly having to remain in port.
• At the SPD federal party conference in June, the Social Democrats (SPD) voted by a large majority in favour of continuing civil sea rescue operations. However, the draft budget for 2026 does not contain any funds – the SPD parliamentary group remains inactive.
• Foreign Secretary Johann Wadephul (CDU) had already declared at the end of June that he rejected funding for civil society sea rescuers. Civil sea rescue was an ‘inappropriate method,’ he said. 
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz also expressed his opposition on Sandra Maischberger’s talk show. Civil sea rescue was ‘not a task for the private sector,’ he said.

“The dispute over civil sea rescue is a core conflict in democratic politics. After all, who decides in a democracy whether human rights are enforced or abandoned – party conferences or budget committees? It is shocking how the federal government is trying to quietly and secretly shirk its responsibility during the parliamentary summer recess. Sea rescue is a cornerstone of civilisation in our treatment of people fleeing their homes. We continue to insist on continued funding,” says Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

Between October 2023 and February 2025, state-supported Sea-Eye missions saved an additional 747 people from drowning.