According to an article published on January 31 in the Times of Malta, refugees in the country are subjected to physical violence, mental abuse, and even torture under the Maltese detention system.

Those who are being detained in the Lyster barracks and Safi detention center have alerted the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) with disturbing reports about the abuse.

The Maltese authorities however, denied having been informed about these severe abuse cases and negated that such abuse is taking place in their detention centers, despite EASO officials stating that they had informed the authorities immediately.

The reports by people who had fled countries like Libya and were held captive in Maltese detention centers include being beaten, being denied medical care, having broken teeth as a result of physical violence, and even being tortured by electrocution.

The Council of Europe‘s committee tasked with the prevention of torture (CPT) presented their findings from a six-day visit in September 2020 to the Maltese authorities stating that „(…) the delegation’s preliminary findings were presented to the Maltese authorities, along with some observations for immediate action. A full report on the visit will be transmitted to the Maltese authorities in due course.“

However, as the eye-witness reports clearly show, Malta hasn’t taken any steps to stop these grave human rights violations since they were first alerted by EASO and CPT officials.

Sea-Eye is appalled by this situation. We have had to bring rescued people to Malta in the past since it was considered a place of safety, and we express our utmost concern about these conditions. These reports about the grave abuse of people seeking shelter are horrifying and untenable and we demand it stop immediately!

One of the people who was disembarked to Malta from a Sea-Eye rescue ship is Joseph*, who is currently still living in the country.

”Europe could do so much better – why don‘t we? Why don‘t we care about the people – like Joseph says?”, asks Sophie Weidenhiller, spokesperson for Sea-Eye.

Sea-Eye refuses to accept that people who have fled wars, torture and violence are then subjected to the same kind of maltreatment and abuse by European authorities. We most strongly oppose all human rights violations – whether they happen outside or inside of Europe. We will continue to stand up for human rights whenever and wherever it is necessary.

Joseph* originally fled violence and prosecution in Central Africa, ended up being abused in war-torn Libya and was eventually rescued from distress at sea in the Mediterranean by Sea-Eye and disembarked in Malta.

*The name and sensitive details of his story have been redacted for his safety.
The photos in this article are symbolic images.

Department of public prosecution continues to investigate the AfD politician

The Berlin regional court has issued an interim injunction against the former deputy federal chairman and chairman of the AfD faction in the Berlin House of Representatives, Georg Pazderski. The injunction prohibits him from alleging that Sea-Eye’s civil sea rescuers had brought the assassin of Nice to Europe. Pazderski had claimed this in a post published on Facebook in early November. The content was shared thousands of times and subsequently the Regensburg sea rescuers received many hate-messages, allegations and even death threats.

On the same day, Sea-Eye had made it clear that this allegation was counterfactual and filed a criminal complaint for all applicable criminal offenses against the AfD politician.

Prior to Pazderski’s publication the Italian interior minister had already confirmed that the murderer of Nice had arrived in Lampedusa on his own in a small rubber dinghy filled with around two dozen people. Even before Pazderski’s lie, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reconstructed how the assassin got to Europe.

“We must therefore assume that it was Pazderski’s intention to take advantage of the situation and the consternation of the afflicted people in a targeted manner in order to elevate his political profile, to grab for attention and to incite hate against Sea-Eye. His abuse of this immeasurable human suffering grants society a clear view of the character of this politician,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

In addition, Sea-Eye also took action under civil law against Georg Pazderski. At the request of the Düsseldorf lawyer Jeremias Mameghani, the Berlin district court already issued an injunction against the AfD politician in November, according to which he was not allowed to repeat this claim under threat of a fine of up to € 250,000 or arrest for contempt. According to Mameghani, this decision could only be delivered to Pazderski now, as his private address first had to be determined and there had apparently been delays in court due to the Corona-pandemic.

Sea-Eye will continue to fight against hate and agitation directed at their sea rescuers.

“We are working closely with the Regensburg police and we will report every single criminal offense,” says Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

New alliance-ship: SEA-EYE 4

The coalition for sea rescue United4Rescue, which now has more than 660 coalition partners, wants to finance the purchase and, to a large extent, the overhaul of the new rescue ship SEA-EYE 4.

“We are very grateful to United4Rescue. Without the support of the coalition, buying such a large ship would have remained inconceivable to us,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

“Since our first campaign for Sea-Watch we have received a lot of support, so we decided: We will send another ship!” says Sandra Bils, founding member of United4Rescue. “Almost every day we receive terrible news of unanswered emergency calls and ship accidents in the Mediterranean. It cannot be that there aren’t enough rescue ships available.”

No safe passage

In addition, civil sea rescue is repeatedly blocked for political reasons and subjected to bureaucratic harassment. United4Rescue also supports rescue organizations in meeting new technical requirements or in freeing the detained ships by legal means.

Due to its size and equipment, the SEA-EYE 4 will be able to accommodate and supply significantly more people than the previous Sea-Eye ships. But before the fourth ship of the Regensburg Sea Rescue organization is operational, extensive shipyard work is required.

United4Rescue finances the purchase and renovation of the SEA-EYE 4

“Together with partners like United4Rescue we are on the right track. But in order to fully equip the SEA-EYE 4 and send it on a mission, we need further support,” says Isler.

“The necessity for our coalition sending another ship is actually a scandal. It is absurd, no, a testimony to Europe’s failure to fulfil its obligation to save people. We will not stand idly by this political failure,” said Bils.

Sea-Eye asks the German Foreign Office for diplomatic support

• ALAN KURDI detained in Olbia
• Italy’s illegitimate repression of German sea rescue organisation
• Sea-Eye asks German Foreign Office for help

On Friday evening, the Italian coast guard detained the ALAN KURDI for the second time this year after an eight-hour port state control. Spanish and German authorities had previously certified the ship as ready for operation after a several-week break in the shipyard.

Captain Joachim Ebeling speaks of “salami tactics” and goes on to say: “If you were really concerned about the safety of the people we rescued, you would not spend hours on end looking for ways to detain us at every opportunity.”

This detention puts all the other missions of this year at risk. Sea-Eye intends to file an immediate appeal against the detention.

Italy’s illegitimate repression of German sea rescue organisation

Although the Italian government has withdrawn Salvini’s draconian punishments against sea rescue organisation, they have not been abolished. Instead, Italy is currently stopping three German rescue ships and one Norwegian ship from continuing rescue operations. In Italy’s statement on the detention, the coast guard again complains that more people were on board than allowed.

“What we see here is the official implementation of a right-wing populist narrative with concrete measures, aimed in particular at transporting people and simply ignoring the maritime emergency beforehand. This is particularly grotesque because until two years ago Italy herself was still rescuing people from such boats off Libya,” Isler continues.

Sea-Eye asks German Foreign Office for help

On Friday evening, Sea-Eye formally asked the German Foreign Office and the German Foreign Minister for support. After all, the detention of the ALAN KURDI, SEA-WATCH 3 and SEA-WATCH 4 not only openly calls into question the rights of German aid organisations. The rights of the flag state to equip its ships with safety certificates are also affected here. However, the protests of the German Ministry of Transport to the Italian colleagues have so far remained fruitless.

“We are being held for political reasons. We are therefore asking the Foreign Office to try to find a diplomatic solution. After all, it is a matter of people’s survival,” says Isler.

Italian authorities seemed unprepared

The ALAN KURDI reached the port of Olbia in Sardinia on Friday morning (25.09.20). It was to last until Saturday noon at 13:15 until all rescued people were allowed to leave the rescue ship. The process of registering the people and undergoing a health check took considerably longer than usual.

The crew has now also been tested for Covid-19. The results are still pending. The Italian authorities had already announced yesterday that the crew of the ALAN KURDI will undergo a 14-day quarantine in Olbia. The captain’s request to head for the port of call Marseille was rejected.

“We have not received any support from any EU state in our work during this mission. But we are glad that we were able to move 133 people to a safe place. We wish these people all the best,“ said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye at the end of the mission.

Meanwhile, the crew is preparing the rescue ship for the next mission.