Red Cross evacuates 146 rescued people to Italian quarantine ship

• Unprecedented solidarity for ALAN KURDI’s mission
• German Federal Ministry of the Interior appealed to NGOs to stop rescue operations
• ALAN KURDI crew to spend 14 days in quarantine

After an almost two-week blockade, the odyssey of the German rescue ship ALAN KURDI ended on Friday, close to the port of Palermo. Already on Easter Sunday, the Italian Minister of Transport Paola De Micheli and the head of Civil Protection Angelo Borelli proposed to transfer the rescued people on board the German rescue ship onto a larger, more suitable ship , where they could be quarantined and also receive proper care in a safe environment. Finally, on Thursday evening, the Italian and German authorities confirmed the proposition’s concrete implementation for Friday morning.

“The situation on the ALAN KURDI has been unbearable for days. We are infinitely relieved that this blockade is finally over,” said Jan Ribbeck, Head of Operations for Sea-Eye.

Red Cross evacuates 146 rescued people to Italian quarantine ship

Under the coordination of the Italian Red Cross, the evacuation of 146 rescued people onto the Italian passenger ship RAFFAELE RUBATTINO began on Friday afternoon. Several ships of the Italian coast guard, including the DICIOTTI, were involved in the transfer of people to the RAFFAELE RUBATTINO.

On the Italian ferry, people are now to be quarantined for another 14 days. So far, it is still unclear how it will go on for the people afterwards. Italy has temporarily closed its ports for the disembarkation of people rescued from distress at sea, due to the general health emergency. To date, the authorities have not published any plans about a port of disembarkation and the distribution of refugees.

“It is now very important to think about the rescued people on the Spanish ship AITA MARI. About 40 people are still waiting for a humanitarian solution on this ship as well,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye.

Unprecedented solidarity for ALAN KURDI’s mission

During the blockade, Sea-Eye and the ALAN KURDI experienced unprecedented solidarity, particularly in Italy. After a letter from Luca Casarini, the Italian sea rescuer, to Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic church, replied and unequivocally stood behind all civilian sea rescuers. However, the commitment of the Mayor of Palermo deserves special mention. Leoluca Orlando was in frequent contact with Head of Operations Jan Ribbeck and asked about the people on the ALAN KURDI every day.

“It can be said that Leoluca Orlando was an important advocate for the human rights of the rescued people and also our crew on the ALAN KURDI. His commitment was essential for the end of this blockade,” said Sea-Eye’s Head of Operations Jan Ribbeck.

But the sea rescuers from Mediterranea and Sea-Watch-Italy also appealed to the government in Rome. They campaigned for civil sea rescue operations to continue and for the ships ALAN KURDI and AITA MARI to be assigned ports of safety. Such a solution is still not in sight for the AITA MARI.

Federal Interior Ministry appealed to NGOs to stop rescue operations

During the rescue 11 days ago, a letter from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior had reached operations management. It called on German civil sea rescue organizations to cease operations and, if necessary, to recall all ships because of the lack of ports of disembarkation in the central Mediterranean. At this point, the ALAN KURDI had already successfully saved 150 lives.

“You cannot ask us to stop saving lives, while simultaneously, the same politicians in Germany are demanding that everything humanly possible be done to save as many lives as possible,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye.

ALAN KURDI crew to spend 14 days in quarantine at anchor

The ALAN KURDI crew is now also facing a 14-day quarantine. The ship shall be anchored off Palermo. The next planned Sea-Eye rescue mission falls victim to these circumstances. However, the corona crisis did not only lead to operational problems. Like many NGOs, Sea-Eye recorded a substantial decrease in donations.

“We want to do everything we can to start a rescue operation in May. Letting people drown because of the Corona crisis is just as bad a reason as any other reason that has been claimed in this debate,” said Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye.

Nobody feels responsible for rescuing people

• The situation on the ALAN KURDI remains tense
• Our on-board doctor documents clear signs of torture
• A proposed solution for the ALAN KURDI is currently being discussed

Dramatic scenes took place on Easter Sunday in the central Mediterranean. While the ALAN KURDI remains blocked off the coast of Sicily, cases of distress at sea increased over the Easter weekend, while nobody took responsibility. Malta did not initiate any rescue operations, even for emergencies that were clearly reported in the Maltese search and rescue zone. The so-called Libyan coast guard has also stopped all rescue efforts, citing a lack of protective masks available as the reason, as Spiegel Online reported. It is feared that dozens of people have already drowned this Easter weekend, and more people still in distress.

Meanwhile, 149 rescued people had to spend their eighth night on the ALAN KURDI. People have to sleep on deck in a confined space and share two toilets and a shower. In conversation with our human rights observer, some of the rescued people reported being tortured in Libya. Our on-board doctor documented scars and burns. One person’s fingers were broken.

The Italian Minister of Transport and the head of Civil Protection made the proposal to transfer the refugees to a larger Italian ship in order to carry out a quarantine. The German Federal Foreign Office confirms that this could be a serious solution.

The Italian coast guard has already supported ALAN KURDI twice with a supply of relief goods. Leoluca Orlando, the mayor of Palermo, is in close contact with our operations manager Jan Ribbeck. Orlando fights for the rescued and the crew of the ALAN KURDI.

“Everyone has the right to health,” Orlando told the Italian press.

The third rescue mission of the year was supposed start on Easter weekend. Unfortunately, the mission had to be canceled. The blockade seriously affects Sea-Eye, in addition to the Coronavirus-related severe decrease in donations. Each additional day costs around € 2,500. The days, when saving lives led to public attention and donations, are long gone. Therefore, we ask for your support.

Italian coast guard evacuates one person during the night of Good Friday

• ALAN KURDI does not receive any food, medicine or fuel from Italy
• Italian coast guard evacuates a person from board off the coast of Lampedusa
• Italy, Malta and Libya describe their own ports as unsafe
• German maritime rescue coordination centre overwhelmed with coordination
• ALAN KURDI is looking for shelter in the northwest of Sicily due to weather

It took the Italian rescue directing centre MRCC ROME about one day to refuse ALAN KURDI-Captain Bärbel Beuse’s request for food, medicine and fuel. The required vessels for this transport would not be available on the islands of Lampedusa and Linosa. Italy referred to Malta. The Maltese rescue coordination centre reacted promptly: “Do not try to push this onto Malta.” Thus, the rescue directing centre in Valletta made clear that Malta is also not willing to help.

The situation on board of the ALAN KURDI is getting more tense, as the rescue ship is not suitable for the indefinite accommodation of 150 people. During the night, Captain Bärbel Beuse insisted and repeated her requests for the most urgent needs:

“We have to stress that the ship requires food in the next 48 hours.”

In the meantime, Libya, just as Italy and Malta, declared its own ports as unsafe for the disembarkation and care for people rescued from distress at sea. Currently, Libya is forbidding a ship of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard with 280 people to run into a Libyan port. The Libyan Coast Guard declared in the meantime that it could not conduct any further rescues since no face masks were available. Vincent Cochetel, special envoy of the United Nations, states to Spiegel Online that the people smugglers could exploit this situation and lie to fleeing people if necessary. In fact, over the last few days, fleeing people reached the Italian island Lampedusa in several boats under great danger. How many boats disappeared on the Mediterranean and how many people drowned is unknown.

“It is not acceptable that we see multi-million rescue packages for the European industry, but at the same time, it’s claimed that there are no resources for the protection of migrants”, states Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye e.V. “Europe has thus allowed a situation to happen where humanitarian catastrophes compete and are played off against each other”, Isler states further.

The German maritime rescue coordination centre in Bremen stated in the night of Good Friday that it is overwhelmed with the coordination of the German ship’s situation.

The MRCC Bremen wrote to their colleagues in Rome: “I am fully aware of the brisance of the actual situation but MRCC Bremen is not able to respond as you expect or hope for.”

Friday noon, the ALAN KURDI set course towards a position northwest of Sicily to seek shelter from approaching heavy weather. Sea-Eye informed German authorities of this decision in the morning already.

Sea-Eye rescue ship saves 68 people in international
waters off Libyan coast

• ALAN KURDI saved 68 people
• Libyan militia hinders rescue operation and fires
  shots
• People desperately jumped into the water
• ALAN KURDI on the way to a second
  boat in distress

On Monday morning, the ALAN KURDI crew received an emergency call via the NGO Alarm Phone. Captain Bärbel Beuse informed the responsible authorities and set course for the coordinates transmitted by Alarm Phone. An hour later ALAN KURDI reached the position. Upon arrival the crew found a wooden boat with a total of 68 people. None of the people had a life jacket.

While the crew of the ALAN KURDI launched their first rescue boat, a Libyan-flagged speedboat approached at high speed. The shots fired and risky maneuvers by the Libyans quickly led to a life-threatening escalation of the situation. Around half of the people from the overcrowded wooden boat jumped into the water and tried to reach the ALAN KURDI on their own.

“When I heard the Libyan gunfire, I was very concerned about my crew and the refugees,” says Stefan Schütz, head of mission aboard the ALAN KURDI.

The rescue boat crews quickly dispatched lifesaving appliances to the water to prevent people from drowning.

The captain informed the German authorities
of the Libyan threat. After a short time things calmed down and the Libyans
finally allowed the rescue of people in the water, the supply of people with
life jackets on the wooden boat and the subsequent evacuation of the refugees remaining in
the wooden boat. All of the 68 people
were saved. The Libyans immediately abstracted the wooden boat and disappeared.
Some of the rescued people are in shock or are hypothermic and are therefore receiving medical
care. The vast majority of those saved said they are from
Bangladesh, a few are from Syria, Chad or Sudan. 20 people
state that they are minors.

“With their behavior, the Libyans risked the drowning of many people. While the EU member states pay money to so-called Libyan coast guards, our crew is once again hindered and threatened while saving lives,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

The ALAN KURDI was also notified of another distress case. The ship is already on its way there.

Sea-Eye vessel awaiting scheduled maintenance works in Spanish shipyard

• Maltese Army evacuates 78 rescued people
• Situation in Libya out of control, according to UNHCR
• Rescued people report traumatic experiences at sea
• Sea-Eye collects donations for maintenance work

Last Saturday, the tenth crew of the German rescue ship ALAN KURDI saved a total of 78 lives from two unseaworthy boats. Four days later, the Maltese Army evacuated the rescued at sea. On Sunday, the Maltese authorities had still refused to disembark the rescued. Malta had declared that it is neither responsible nor has additional capacity to accommodate those rescued and seeking protection, and that there would be an agreement with other EU member states. Therefore, the ship was instructed to contact the nearest coastal state.

Despite the bad weather and overall dangerous flight conditions, a particularly large number of people are fleeing Libya these days. Aid organizations such as Sea-Eye have saved around 800 people in the past few days. The UNHCR said a week ago that the situation in Libya was “out of control” and that “minimal security standards for refugees” could no longer be guaranteed. The attempt to revive the European naval mission “Sophia” failed due to the governments of Austria and Italy.

Aboard the ALAN KURDI, 78 rescued people from 20 different countries of origin had to wait for a port of safety to be assigned to the ship. Some of the rescued reported spending three days on their journey and crossing the Bouri Oilfield. A cargo ship had crossed their course but simply ignored and avoided them. The rescued from the second boat reported to Sea-Eye’s human rights observer that they were terrified when several sharks circled their boat.

When head of mission Johanna Pohl informed the rescued people on Tuesday evening that they will be picked up by a Maltese military ship to be taken to Malta, many refugees expressed great fear of being brought back to Libya. It was only with great effort that the crew was able to calm the people down and convincingly convey that this is not the reason why Malta is not letting the ALAN KURDI go to port in Malta.

The ALAN KURDI has now set course for the Spanish port of Burriana. There, the 70-year-old rescue ship will be subjected to scheduled maintenance. The last time the ALAN KURDI was in dry dock was in May. Since then, the ship has completed seven other missions. Not a single mission was completed without one or several rescues.

“We will never forget these many, difficult hours. Now we have to collect up to € 120,000 for the maintenance and replacement of two generators. We hope that we can start the eleventh mission mid-March, ” said Gorden Isler – Chairman, Sea-Eye e. V.

The Regensburg sea rescuers will then be able to continue operations for the rest of the year.