SEA-EYE 5 returns to operation

SEA-EYE 5

After being detained for 20 days and after cancelled fundings by the German government, the civil rescue ship returns to the Mediterranean Sea.

Around three weeks after the German government has announced that it was cancelling financial support for civil sea rescue operations, the rescue ship SEA-EYE 5 is once again setting sail for the Mediterranean. Previously, over 80,000 people had petitioned for support to be reinstated in the federal budget.

“In a short period of time, many people have shown their solidarity and have allowed the SEA-EYE 5 to set sail again. We are grateful for that! However, this strong signal from civil society contrasts sharply with the attitude of the German government. By joining a brutal EU border regime and therefore withdrawing from responsibility, the government is leaving the rescue of human lives solely to civil sea rescuers and the countries bordering the Mediterranean. With its policy, the German government is making escape routes deadlier and abandoning humanitarian aid organisations. This is no inadvertent political blind flight. It is a wilful breach of fundamental humanitarian values,” explains Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye.

“Especially in times like these, we are committed to our cooperation with Sea-Eye and hence to civil sea rescue. By deploying our doctors on board, we are continuing to provide urgently needed medical care for people in distress at sea,” emphasises Dr Christine Winkelmann, Director of Projekte German Doctors e. V.

This is the first mission for the SEA-EYE 5 after a 20-day detention in Pozzallo, Sicily. The Italian authorities had imposed this following the rescue of 65 people. Sea-Eye has already filed a lawsuit against the detention and the associated fine. The organisation has won three lawsuits against unlawful detentions by the Italian authorities in 2024 alone.

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German government cancels financial support for civil sea rescue

Empty Boat

The loss of over two million euros has a tangible impact on rescue operations and the survival chances of people in distress at sea.

Since 2022, the Federal Foreign Office has funded civil sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean with two million euros per year. However, none of the affected organisations were consulted before the cabinet decided to withdraw the funding.

Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye, says: “For ten years, we have been filling the gap in the Mediterranean that should actually be filled by European states, including Germany. Financial support has enabled Sea-Eye to undertake additional missions and save lives in a very concrete way. However, it is now possible that, despite there being distress calls at sea, we will have to remain in port. The federal government must not quietly and without justification cut its support for sea rescue efforts. Fewer people will then be rescued from distress at sea. That is why the Bundestag must continue to provide support through the federal budget. Protecting human lives and human rights must not be considered less important in Germany than investing heavily in armaments. The political signal this would send would be fatal. I therefore appeal to all members of the democratic parties in the Bundestag to ensure that support for civil sea rescue continues so that we can continue to save lives.”

Last year alone, over 2,500 people died in the Mediterranean while fleeing (source: IOM Missing Migrants Project). Since its foundation in 2015, Sea Eye has been financed almost exclusively through donations. In 2022, the organisation received state support for the first time from the then Ampel coalition. This enabled the organisation to offset increased costs for fuel, mooring fees, and personnel on board and ashore, guaranteeing the presence of rescue ships in the area of operation.

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175,000 Lives Saved – A Decade of Civil Search and Rescue in the Central Mediterranean 

Pressekonferenz 18. JuniWanda Proft / SOS Humanity

On the tenth anniversary of civil search and rescue efforts in the central Mediterranean, and in the lead-up to World Refugee Day, four major German NGOs—United4Rescue, Sea-Watch, Sea-Eye, and SOS Humanity—took stock of a decade of lifesaving operations and called for an end to the political obstruction of rescue missions. 

Since 2015, non-governmental rescue ships have provided humanitarian emergency assistance in the central Mediterranean. By April 2025, the “civil fleet”, consisting of 15 rescue vessels, 7 sailing ships, and 4 reconnaissance airplanes, had been involved in rescuing 175,595 people—despite mounting political and bureaucratic barriers. European governments and the EU prioritize deterrence and border control over protection and compliance with international law. For instance, Italy’s “Piantedosi Decree”, introduced in January 2023, has led to the administrative detention of rescue vessels on 28 occasions, resulting in 680 days of blocked operations. 

“Ten years of civil sea rescue means ten years of ignorance and politicians turning a blind eye. When state actors fail in their duty, we step in as a civil fleet. We look. We go there. Ten years of civil sea rescue serve as an urgent reminder to break the silence surrounding drowning. No matter how strong the political opposition to protecting people on the run becomes: Over the past ten years, we have demonstrated the achievements possible through strong civil society alliances. We are a force to be reckoned with,” emphasises Anna di Bari, board member at Sea-Eye.

Of the 21 NGOs presently involved in lifesaving activities in the Central Mediterranean, 10 come from Germany. Here, public support for non-governmental search and rescue remains strong. Tens of thousands of people continue to donate, volunteer, and stand in solidarity. United4Rescue, a German alliance of nearly 1,000 organizations, exemplifies the broad backing from civil society. Equally vital are grassroots initiatives like Refugees in Libya, which advocates for refugee rights and document abuses, and Alarm Phone, which has provided a distress hotline for people in danger at sea for over a decade. These groups reflect a simple truth: civil society steps in when states fail—though it cannot substitute for structural, political solutions. 

Shortly ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the organizations presented Mare Solidale, a concrete proposal for a European rescue program, as a roadmap for a human rights-based approach. The concept outlines legal principles, mechanisms for coordinated EU-led search and rescue, and a realistic financial framework. Their message is unequivocal: the EU could end the ongoing deaths at sea if the political will existed. 

United4Rescue, Sea-Watch, Sea-Eye and SOS Humanity together call on the German government, the EU, and its member states to firmly recognize search and rescue at Europe’s Mediterranean borders as both a legal and a humanitarian obligation. They demand a fully funded, European state-led rescue program and an end to cooperation with authoritarian regimes such as Tunisia and Libya on border enforcement. Given systematic violence, the absence of asylum protection, and ongoing political repression, Tunisia must not be classified as a safe country of origin or a safe third country. 

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After Rescuing 65 People: SEA-EYE 5 Unlawfully Detained in Sicily

Rettungskreuzer SEA-EYE 5

The civil rescue ship SEA-EYE 5, operated by the Germany-based search and rescue organization Sea-Eye, was detained by Italian authorities in the port of Pozzallo on Monday, June 16, 2025.

The detention followed a rescue operation on Saturday, June 14, during which the crew of SEA-EYE 5 saved a total of 65 people from an overcrowded rubber boat in acute distress in the Central Mediterranean — among them many women and several seriously injured individuals. 

“This detention is a politically motivated act and a serious attack on civil sea rescue. The underlying strategy: small rescue vessels are expected to fulfill demands that are not compatible with safety standards — and those who refuse to risk human lives are punished,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

Sea-Eye Faces Three Accusations:

Disregard of MRCC Rome Instructions:
The captain allegedly failed to fully communicate information and refused the selective transfer of individuals to the Coast Guard. The captain argued that all people on board were in need of protection.

Delayed Request for Disembarkation:
SEA-EYE 5 is accused of not “officially and promptly” requesting a port of disembarkation. In reality, Sea-Eye had been in active contact with several rescue coordination centers, including those in Bremen and Rome, from the outset of the operation. All communication was documented in writing.

Delayed Departure to Taranto:
SEA-EYE 5 allegedly did not proceed “without delay” to Taranto after it was assigned and instead waited over six hours off the coast of Pozzallo. However, Pozzallo had been officially designated as the Port of Safety. The delay was due to the MRCC in Rome canceling the planned disembarkation, argues Sea-Eye. From Sea-Eye’s perspective, the transshipment demands and further travel instructions were incompatible with the safety situation on board and the ship’s technical limitations.

Sea-Eye Strongly Rejects the Accusations

“These accusations are fabricated to criminalize rescue operations. Our crew has always acted in the best interests of those rescued and in accordance with international maritime law. The detention once again shows that Italian authorities are systematically trying to push civil rescue ships out of the Mediterranean,” explains Isler. 

Sea-Eye has announced it will take legal action against the detention. The organization views this measure as a continuation of Italy’s repressive port policy, which previously drew international criticism in the case of the civil rescue vessel NADIR.

Background: Dispute Over Port of Disembarkation

After the rescue, the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rome initially assigned the port of Taranto — 390 nautical miles away — as a Port of Safety, despite this distance being incompatible with the ship’s technical capabilities and insufficient water supplies for such a long journey with so many people on board. Only after intense pressure, strong appeals referencing international maritime law, and persistent argumentation did the MRCC in Rome relent overnight and assign the closer port of Pozzallo in Sicily.

On Sunday at approximately 2:00 PM, the SEA-EYE 5 finally reached Pozzallo. Upon arrival, the crew was informed that instead of a full disembarkation, only a so-called transshipment would be permitted. The crew was instructed to identify vulnerable individuals and transfer them to an Italian Coast Guard patrol vessel. The remaining rescued individuals were expected to stay on board and be transported to Taranto in Apulia.

During the hours-long negotiations, the crew had to request another medical evacuation, as the condition of a pregnant woman continued to deteriorate. A medical evacuation had already been approved the previous day for three severely injured individuals, who were transferred to the Italian Coast Guard. At 8:30 PM, the crew received official permission to enter the port and disembark the rescued individuals. At the same time, the medical evacuation request was approved, allowing the pregnant woman to be brought ashore with a family member and receive medical care before the ship docked.

After the remaining 60 people were safely disembarked, Italian authorities initially placed SEA-EYE 5 under quarantine. On Monday evening, at around 6:30 PM, the vessel was officially detained — the first such detention for the ship since Sea-Eye began operating it in December 2024.

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Italy delays disembarkation of 50 rescued individuals from all-weather lifeboat SEA-EYE 5 despite precarious humanitarian situation

Rescue SEA-EYE 5

Assigned port in Vibo Valentia is located over 295 nautical miles from the rescue site

On the afternoon of June 6, 2025, the organization Alarm Phone informed the relevant authorities and the all-weather lifeboat SEA-EYE 5 of a distress case in the Libyan Search and Rescue Zone. Around 8:00 p.m., the SEA-EYE 5 crew reached the rubber boat in distress and evacuated its 50 occupants. Despite the ship’s limited onboard capacity, Italian authorities subsequently assigned the port of Vibo Valentia for disembarkation, which is located 295 nautical miles from the site of the rescue. This disproportionately long transit time poses an acute risk to the health and safety of all people on board. The rescued individuals are exposed to the open elements in extremely confined space. The vessel can provide no sleeping accommodations, limited sanitation infrastructure, and only basic supplies of food and water.

“At the time of rescue, most individuals were already soaked, dehydrated, seasick, and extremely exhausted. In addition, they suffered from moderate to severe sunburns, scabies, as well as older wounds and back injuries. Their general condition worsened the longer we remained at sea, and – as we anticipated – became significantly more difficult on the second night. Waves were washing over the deck, and the rescued people sought shelter under their blankets. Soaking wet and freezing, they waited for sunrise to bring some warmth,” explained Merle Brinkhus, onboard doctor on the SEA-EYE 5 for German Doctors e.V.

Due to the deteriorating conditions onboard, SEA-EYE 5 officially requested permission from the responsible Italian authorities a total of four times to disembark the rescued individuals at a closer port. All requests were denied. No explanation was given regarding why the provided reasoning of health- and safety concerns was not considered sufficient. In the last three missions carried out by SEA-EYE 5, the Italian authorities had acknowledged the humanitarian situation and granted requests for closer ports accordingly.

Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye e.V., emphasized: “Why they have actively decided against that this time is inexplicable to us. SEA-EYE 5 is neither equipped nor suited for such long transit distances. By refusing to assign us a closer port, the Italian authorities are knowingly accepting serious risks to both the rescued people and our crew. There are plenty of safe ports in southern Italy capable of disembarking people fleeing danger.”

The SEA-EYE 5 is operated by Sea-Eye e.V., a non-profit organization that has been running rescue ships in the Mediterranean since 2015 and has rescued over 18,000 people from distress at sea.

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Goodbye, SEA‑EYE 4: Thank you for many years of unwavering solidarity

SEA-EYE 4

After more than 4,5 years of tireless work for people in distress at sea, it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to our Red Lady, the SEA‑EYE 4. For many, she was more than just a rescue ship – she became a safe harbour in the middle of the central Mediterranean and a symbol of solidarity in Europe’s deadliest border region. Together with around 250 crew members and countless supporters on land, she accompanied approximately 3,700 people on part of their dangerous journey as they fled across the Mediterranean in search of safety. We look back with great gratitude on 20 missions and their many hundreds of stories of resilience and survival. We are convinced that the ship will remain a shining symbol of humanity with our Italian friends from Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH). Thank you, Red Lady – and THANK YOU to all the countless people and partner organisations who have given life to her important mission over many years.

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A review: the great moments of a great rescue ship

October 2020: Purchase and conversion of the SEA‑EYE 4
Sea-Eye acquires an offshore supply ship (built in 1972) with significant support from the United4Rescue alliance – and converts it into a rescue ship with around 250 volunteers within six months. The SEA‑EYE 4 becomes United4Rescue’s second alliance ship.

SEA-EYE 4 Trockendock
SEA-EYE 4 Schiffstaufe

28 February 2021: Ship christening
The SEA‑EYE 4 is christened in Rostock. The christening takes place in a small circle under strict COVID-19 protocol. The godfather is the then 18-year-old Alpha Jor Barry, who was rescued from the predecessor ship ALAN KURDI in 2018. The SEA-EYE 4 is then transferred from the Rostock shipyard harbour to her berth in Burriana.

May 2021: First mission with over 400 rescued

On 8 May, the SEA‑EYE 4 sets sail on its first mission – for the first time together with partner organisation German Doctors. The mission takes place in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic: All crew members must first be quarantined and test negative. Paramedic and presenter Tobi Schlegl, who later publishes a book about the mission, is also on board. In total, over 400 people are rescued during the six missions, many of them children. After the mission, the ship is detained for three months – due to formal ‘deficiencies’ in certificates and wastewater disposal. The SEA‑EYE 4 is adapted and the politically motivated blockade lifted.

October/November 2021: Largest rescue of over 800 people

On its third mission ever, the SEA‑EYE 4, together with the RISE ABOVE from the organisation Mission Lifeline, rescues around 850 people from distress at sea in seven missions – including around 170 minors. Particularly dramatic: an overcrowded wooden boat with over 400 people that was already taking on water. In terms of the number of survivors, the mission goes down in history as the ship’s largest rescue mission to date.

SEA-EYE 4 Rettung
SEA-EYE 4 Rettung
SEA-EYE 4 Rettung

The year 2022: Start of Italy’s restrictive change of course in the form of the Piantedosi Decree

During a mission in June 2022, the crew of the SEA‑EYE 4 once again rescues around 500 people. Unfortunately, the first signs of a political change of course in Italy are now becoming noticeable: In December, the Italian authorities issue a direct harbour assignment for the first time while a rescue operation is still underway – a foreshadowing of what the Piantedosi Decree would entail. It obliges civilian sea rescue ships to immediately sail to an – often distant – assigned harbour after a single rescue, instead of carrying out further rescues. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines and ship confiscation. A caesura that will severely hamper civil sea rescue in the years to come.

February 2023: First fatalities in a rescue operation

During a rescue mission in the central Mediterranean, the crew of the SEA‑EYE 4 can only recover two people dead – including the mother of a surviving baby. This is the first time that deceased people are taken on board the ship. Another person dies after an emergency evacuation in hospital on land. These are dark hours on the SEA‑EYE 4 – our sympathies go out to all the friends and families left behind.

June & August 2023: First detentions under the Piantedosi Decree

The SEA‑EYE 4 is detained in the port of Ortona for the first time in June after a total of 49 people are rescued. The reason is the Piantedosi Decree of February 2023: The crew interrupted the journey to the assigned harbour to help other people in distress at sea. Italy imposes 20 days’ administrative detention and a fine of 3,333 euros. The second unlawful detention for 20 days follows in August, after 114 people are rescued in three rescue operations. Sea-Eye appeals against both detentions.

October 2023: Dramatic rescue with 4 lives lost

The so-called Libyan coastguard uses aggressive manoeuvres to harass an overcrowded inflatable boat in the presence of the SEA‑EYE 4. Several people fall into the water in panic, and four people – including a twelve-year-old girl – can only be rescued dead. 48 people survive the dramatic rescue. After the mission, the SEA‑EYE 4 is detained in the harbour of Vibo Valentia for 20 days. The reason: The crew allegedly did not follow the instructions of the aggressively acting so-called Libyan coastguard. Sea-Eye appeals against the detention. An Italian court later confirms that the administrative detention was unlawful – and that the crew had fully complied with their duty to rescue people at sea. Following the instructions of the so-called Libyan coastguard would not have been compatible with international law.

Sogenannte Lybische Küstenwache
Todesfall Seenotrettung
SEA-EYE 4 Festsetzung

February/March 2024: Two more deaths and 60 days of detention

The SEA‑EYE 4 rescues around 200 people on its mission in 2024 – including several seriously injured people; two do not survive their flight. The so-called Libyan coastguard threatens the ship several times. During one rescue, they point a gun at the rescue boat. In March, the SEA‑EYE 4 is detained in Italy for 60 days – the longest administrative detention of a rescue ship under the Piantedosi Decree at the time. The authorities again justify this with alleged non-compliance with instructions from the so-called Libyan coastguard – although a handover to Libya would have constituted a pushback in violation of international law. Other German rescue ships are also detained. The crew of the SEA‑EYE 4 launches a petition, and the land crew takes the protest to the streets. Rightly so: in June 2024, the court in Reggio Calabria declares this detention unlawful as well.

November 2024 – February 2025: SEA‑EYE 4 becomes emergency aid hub after the flood in Valencia

One day before the severe flooding disaster in Valencia, the SEA‑EYE 4 returns from its mission to Spain: it is converted into an emergency aid hub at short notice. In close collaboration with the local organisation L’Aurora – an indispensable ally that has supported Sea-Eye in Burriana for many years – the crew of the SEA‑EYE 4 coordinated the distribution of over 14,000 meals, 1,000 kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables, 7,000 loaves of bread, and drinking water. Mobile medical teams treat isolated areas, lorry loads of donations are sorted, and donated bicycles are repaired. The crew and around 400 volunteers turn the ship into a central site for relief during this time.

SEA-EYE 4 Valencia Nothilfe

February/March 2025: Solidarity in the civilian fleet – joint mission with Sea-Watch

In March 2025, the organisations Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch carry out a joint rescue mission in the central Mediterranean. The crew of the SEA‑EYE 4, consisting of members of both organisations, rescues a total of 163 people in distress at sea. The mission is a sign of solidarity in the civilian fleet – united against Europe’s isolationist policy.

SEA-EYE 4

May / June 2025: We say goodbye – and hand over the Red Lady to MSH
The SEA‑EYE 4 will be placed in new hands and will continue to be operated by Mediterranea Saving Humans. Full of gratitude for what our Red Lady has achieved in recent years, in full confidence that she will continue this work under a new name – and with great hope that we can save even more people from distress at sea as a jointly operating civilian fleet with coordinated strategies. We would like to thank everyone who has helped to send the SEA‑EYE 4 on its important missions in recent years – and to rescue many, many hundreds of people from distress at sea

We bid farewell to the SEA‑EYE 4 with the words of a survivor who described in a letter exactly what this ship was always intended to be – a safe harbour for people on the move:

“If you are on this ship, then you are very lucky – it means you have arrived to safety.”

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After 20 missions and the rescue of over 3,700 people: Sea-Eye hands over the SEA-EYE 4 to Mediterranea Saving Humans

SEA-EYE 4Leon Salner

The ship will continue to save lives in the Mediterranean as part of the civil fleet.

After more than four and a half years of service with Sea-Eye, the SEA-EYE 4 is changing hands as part of a strategic realignment. The organisation has decided to transfer ownership of the ship to Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian organisation. Operating under the new name MEDITERRANEA, the ship will continue to save lives and play an integral role in the civil rescue fleet.

The transfer of the SEA-EYE 4 demonstrates the solidarity among non-governmental organisations operating in the Mediterranean. Given the ever-growing obstacles that the EU and its member states are placing in the way of civil sea rescue operations, these organisations must continuously adapt their strategies. Ships flying the Italian flag are also increasingly subject to attempts at criminalisation: From October 2025, six activists from Mediterranea Saving Humans will stand trial for allegedly aiding and abetting illegal immigration. This relates to a rescue operation in 2020, when the organisation saved 27 people who had been adrift at sea for over a month. However, as the SEA-EYE 4 fulfils all the requirements to continue operating under the German flag, Mediterranea Saving Humans has a solid legal foundation and greater scope for action in the future. Sea-Eye has also adapted its strategy: To operate more flexibly and successfully, Sea-Eye will rely on a fleet of smaller, faster ships; the all-weather lifeboat SEA-EYE 5 has been in operation since October 2024.

“The fact that Mediterranea Saving Humans can now operate under the German flag protects the organisation from further attempts by the Italian government to criminalise it, thus strengthening its presence on one of the world’s deadliest escape routes. While the EU and its member states are working to make escape routes more dangerous to reduce arrivals, we stand together for a civil society alternative to the increasingly brutal border regime. We will continue to join forces wherever possible to save lives, and together we will resolutely oppose the policy of isolation and deterrence at Europe’s external borders,” explains Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye. “The SEA-EYE 4 was our biggest project to date. We are eternally grateful to all the dedicated individuals, donors, and partner organisations who have made its operations possible so far.”

“The Italian authorities accuse us, they prosecute us for this, they construct judicial machinations using the secret services and classifying us as a ‘threat to national security’, and they would like to intimidate us, force us into a corner, turn us into desperate victims full of resentment. But this will never happen. The strength we draw from doing everything we can to save lives is immensely greater than any political attempts to stop us by throwing obstacles in our way. Today, the civil fleet is stronger than before, today Mediterranea is doubling in size with the support of Sea-Eye. Today, the SEA-EYE 4 becomes MEDITERRANEA and continues its life as a ship of care and dignity,” emphasises Luca Casarini, co-founder and head of mission of Mediterranea Saving Humans.

The SEA-EYE 4 is a former offshore supply vessel that Sea-Eye acquired in 2020 with the support of the alliance United4Rescue. Around 250 volunteers then converted it into a rescue ship. It began its maiden voyage in May 2021 and has since conducted 20 missions, rescuing over 3,700 people in distress at sea.

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SEA-EYE 5 rescues 76 people in a challenging operation over the Easter weekend

Rescue SEA-EYE 5

The all-weather lifeboat brought the rescued people safely ashore in Lampedusa on Monday afternoon.

At around 9 p.m. on Easter Sunday, the crew of the SEA-EYE 5 reached a distress case at sea that had been reported by the organisation Alarm Phone. It took the crew more than three hours to rescue the 76 people from the double-decker wooden boat due to the high swell. Some of those rescued said they drank seawater because they were thirsty. Three people had to be medically monitored for the rest of the route.

Dr. Gustav Buescher, on-board doctor of German Doctors, emphasises: “During the night, we rescued 76 people in the Mediterranean Sea with the SEA-EYE 5. Initial medical assessment revealed clinical signs of dehydration, hypothermia, seasickness and exhaustion in many of them. A few cases required intensive medical care in the SEA-EYE 5 sick bay, with a focus on monitoring vital signs, intravenous fluid replacement and warming. Fortunately, we were able to achieve adequate stabilisation in all cases. I am pleased that the rapid medical care provided to the patients on SEA-EYE 5 prevented the development of critical health conditions.”

The Italian authorities initially assigned the SEA-EYE 5 to Reggio Calabria. However, after the head of mission drew attention to the severe strain on the rescued people on board due to the deteriorating weather conditions, the crew was finally allowed to proceed to Lampedusa. The vessel reached the Italian island at around 2.30 p.m. on Monday and brought the people safely ashore. One person was taken directly to hospital and two others were treated in a medical centre.

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Sea-Eye ships rescue 178 people over the weekend – including a three-day-old baby

Rescue Ships SEA-EYE 4 and SEA-EYE 5

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, SEA-EYE 4 rescued 122 people in 4 operations. SEA-EYE 5 rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions.

Between Friday evening 7 March and Sunday morning 9 March, the crew of the SEA-EYE 4 responded to a total of four distress calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The vessel is now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities designated the port, which is some 460 kilometres away. The rescue was a joint operation between the two organisations – the same crew had rescued 41 people and brought them to shore in Naples on 22 February.

In addition, on the night of Sunday to Monday, the crew of the SEA-EYE 5 rescued 56 people from a rubber boat, including a three-day-old baby. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation took more than two hours and the crew was able to bring everyone safely on board the SEA-EYE 5 at around 3 a.m. A medical evacuation was organised for the baby and its family in or near Lampedusa to the Italian coastguard.

“At 3 a.m. this morning we embarked 56 people onboard the SEA-EYE 5. They had been on a rubber boat for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many of them were weak and exhausted. Amongst them was a three day old baby who required treatment for an infection and evacuation,” explains Patricia Darlington, a doctor from German Doctors e. V. on board the SEA-EYE 5.

The SEA-EYE 5 rescue operation was funded by, among others, the UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe.

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Hawa survives: A woman’s fight against violence and oppression

SEA-EYE 4 RescueSea-Eye

TRIGGER WARNING: This text deals with sexual and sexualised violence and experiences of discrimination.

Nearly four years ago, I embarked on one of the most memorable experiences of my journalism career: I sailed off aboard the SEA-EYE 4 to join its very first rescue mission in the Mediterranean. 

It was a large, busy and dramatic operation, during which Sea-Eye rescued 408 souls, including 150 children. Most of them were distressed and deprived of social contact after spending months in detention centres in Libya. 

We also rescued five pregnant women, three of whom fell pregnant as a result of rape in Libya. As a journalist documenting human rights violations, I paid particular attention to their stories, wondering how the stress of the mothers might impact the babies who would be born in a continent that rejected them and left them to drown.

When we disembarked in Sicily in June 2021, it was a hot summer day and we were euphoric after a rescue operation that everyone survived in good health. Only a month later, I decided I would travel to France, where some of the French-speaking rescued persons decided to seek shelter. I wanted to document how their stories would unfold in Europe.

I first met Hawa (not her real name), an outspoken 21-year old woman from Mali who was 3 months pregnant when we rescued her. She travelled alone, hoping she could find a job in Europe, allowing her to support her mother, who was suffering from a grave illness and living in poverty.

Hawa’s pregnancy was a result of brutal rape in a Libyan detention centre, she told me. “When the men in the detention centre rape you, there’s usually three of them,” she told us on the ship. “One is raping you while the second points a gun at you. And the third one films the scene.”

We decided we would meet in Paris, where she told me she lived after she left a refugee centre in Sicily where she and the other refugees had disembarked at first. But when I called her the day of the meeting, she refused to give me her new address. Surprised, I asked her why. After a long phone conversation, her voice finally broke and she told me the truth – after she had left Italy, she ended up homeless in the streets of Paris. “I had nowhere to go and I called my mother in the Parisian metro, crying,” she told me. “Another man from Mali overheard me speaking in Bambara, and offered to house me for the night,” she said.

When we finally met, I understood she was not only looking for accommodation, but also for urgent medical help. She had five euros in her pocket, and complained about gynaecological problems accompanied by excruciating pain and bleeding. She was confused and lightheaded, probably as a result of the pain. She hadn’t eaten in days.

I immediately took her to a charity providing medical aid to refugees. After the medical exam, it became clear she had had a miscarriage shortly after she had been rescued by the SEA-EYE 4; in addition to that, she was likely suffering from an infection that exacerbated her female genital mutilation, probably linked to the multiple brutal rapes she had been subjected to in Mali (she gave the permission to write about the topic of female genital mutilation in order to raise awareness of this awful practice, still common in many African countries). And, as it turned out, she also had diabetes.

The doctor at the charity told me to take her to the emergency room immediately because of the severely low blood sugar levels. She wrote us a referral letter and urged me to run to the nearest hospital that would accept persons with no recourse to public funds. When we arrived at the hospital, I had to fight with the staff to make sure they treated her. “If she has no ID, there is nothing we can do for her,” the person at the reception barked at me. Hawa was terrified and could not say a word, even though she was fluent in French. “I was a volunteer on the ship that rescued her as she was drowning in the middle of the Mediterranean and she is sick,” I had to shout. That’s what it took to reach the moment when the doctors’ empathy finally switched on and they decided to take her in.

I waited with Hawa in the emergency room for hours. The doctors treated her for diabetes, but did not take any actions to treat her miscarriage, her bleeding or her female genital mutilation, even though I told them she was likely in danger. (To this day, I remain shocked: as a white European woman, I cannot imagine the same would happen to me. If I came to the emergency room bleeding after a miscarriage, I would never be ignored or told it is not a matter of urgency. But Hawa was treated for her blood sugar levels only.)

When she stepped out of the exam room, she seemed like a different person: she was no longer dizzy, shy and confused. The diabetes medication kicked in. The doctor asked her when the last time she had access to insulin was – she recalled it was back in Mali, some 5 or 6 months ago. It was hard to imagine how much physical pain she had to undergo. I accompanied her to the house of the man who helped her in the Parisian metro. She told me she would stay with him for the time being. She did not want me to worry about her.

A month after our encounter at the emergency service, I traveled to France again, to meet with her, this time in Lyon. She had been transferred to a public accommodation centre for asylum seekers while she was waiting for her asylum application to be processed. That day, we had pizza together and then we talked about her life in France. I noticed she had bought some fake eyelashes.

I never found out if she was granted asylum in France. Even though she sporadically kept in touch with me, that day in Lyon was the last time I saw her, before she deleted her social media accounts and changed her phone number. 

Hawa’s story is one of surviving. We thank her deeply for sharing her story with us.

About Sara Cincurova

Sara Cincurova is a freelance human rights journalist. She was born in Slovakia and currently lives in Ukraine. Her main areas of expertise are migration, conflict, human rights, foreign policy, humanitarian issues and women’s rights. Sara’s articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC News and Der Spiegel, among others. In 2021, she was a journalist on board the rescue ship SEA-EYE 4 in the Mediterranean. During the mission, the crew saved 408 people from drowning.

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