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.

Our all-weather lifeboat SEA-EYE 5 is in action on the world’s deadliest escape route. Support its missions now and become a ship sponsor.

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Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch launch joint rescue operation

SEA-EYE 4 Operation Sea-Watch x Sea-EyeMaria Giulia Trombini (Sea-Watch)

The sea rescue organisations Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch have launched a joint rescue operation in the central Mediterranean. With the rescue ship SEA-EYE 4, a crew of 28 members of both organisations is on its way to one of the deadliest borders in the world. One week before the German parliamentary elections, the two German organisations call on all parties to create safe and legal passages.

The cooperation between Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch is a response to the ongoing deaths in the Mediterranean. Despite political resistance in Germany, the organisations remain true to their mission: to save lives and to draw attention to the systematic omission of state rescue operations. The joint mission is not only a reaction to the acute dying, but also a sign of solidarity. European civil society cannot stand by and watch people drown. 

“The collaboration between Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch is a strong signal of cohesion and solidarity. In times of exclusion, hatred and agitation, we are fighting together for every human life on one of the deadliest escape routes in the world. We are showing that humanitarian aid knows no borders,” explains Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye.

Sea-Watch also emphasises  that the cooperation is a necessary step: “Every cooperation strengthens our commitment to save people from drowning. One week before the German parliamentary elections, we demand safe and legal passages for all. Politicians who only shout for fences do not change anything about the dying in the Mediterranean,” says Giulia Messmer, spokesperson for Sea-Watch.

The SEA-EYE 4 is a ship specially converted for rescue operations that has already saved over 3,800 people from drowning. The current operation will bring those seeking protection safely to land and provide initial medical care. The crew consists of experienced sea rescuers, doctors and technical specialists.

The operation is supported by the broad alliance United4Rescue and the initiative LeaveNoOneBehind. 

Despite international obligations to rescue people at sea, civil sea rescue is increasingly being obstructed by European states. Over 2,300 people have drowned in the Mediterranean in 2024 alone. The organisations call on the European Union and its member states to end their blockade and create legal and safe passages.

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60 days of continuous work after the Valencia floods

Nothilfe Valencia

Mud in underground car parks, piles of rubbish on football pitches, and cars stacked up: many weeks after the flood disaster in Spain, the aftermath remains devastating. In the heart of it all: around 400 volunteers from Sea-Eye and our Spanish partner organization L’Aurora, who have been working tirelessly in the Valencia region since the flooding in October 2024. Here’s a summary of 60 days of continuous effort in the region last year…

Every day, our crew and volunteers prepared and distributed food to those affected: A total of 14,000 meals, 3,000 sandwiches, 1,000 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables, 7,000 loaves of bread, and, time and again, special treats reached the people.

Trucks filled with donations were collected, sorted, and delivered directly to the impacted neighborhoods.

Donated bicycles were repaired to restore mobility for the residents.

Refugees were also not forgotten: In nearby Sagunt, in particular, we assisted those who often fall through the cracks of state support.

Nothilfe Valencia

On New Year’s Eve, the volunteers also brought grapes along with the usual food deliveries to Valencia, helping to uphold a cherished Spanish tradition. In Spain, it is customary to eat one grape with each chime of the midnight bell, with every bite symbolizing a wish for the New Year. We hope many of these wishes come true for the people of this hard-hit region, who have shown us so much solidarity in the past at the port of Burriana.

Our 12 New Year’s wishes are clear: lots of support for the work on the ground, which we will continue alongside L’Aurora even after these first 60 days of continuous effort. You can contribute to this cause with a donation.

Donate now and support the work in Valencia!

Joint Statement for the State Crime of Pylos

WavesAnna Dütsch

One and a half year has passed since the state crime near Pylos was committed, which led to the death of more than 600 people migrating to Europe. Despite the irrefutable evidence and testimonies of shipwreck survivors, those responsible for this crime have not yet been brought before the judicial authorities. In fact, the perpetrators continue to carry out their duties with impunity, not only posing a constant threat to people on the move but also exemplifying the immunity they receive.

The Pylos state crime was not an isolated incident, nor was it the last. The shipwreck was the result of the intensifying systemic violence against people crossing into Greece and the EU. Their increasing dehumanisation has led to a horrifying situation. The EU’s policies of securitisation and militarisation of its borders and territories confront people on the move with even greater violence and constant violations of their rights. Pushback operations, arbitrary and prolonged imprisonment in detention centres in European border countries, and cooperation with authoritarian regimes in neighbouring countries have led to an unprecedented number of dead and missing persons.

A year and a half ago, on 14 June 2023, while the fishing trawler Adriana, with 750 people on board was reportedly in danger, the Greek authorities deliberately delayed any rescue operation: at first the authorities ignored distress calls, only monitoring the trawler; subsequently,  authorities attempted to tow the Adriana away from the Greek Search and Rescue zone, causing its capsizing. In this cynical and ultimately deadly attempt, authorities tried to remove any possible eyewitnesses, not only by refusing the assistance offered by EU’s agency Frontex but also by turning away commercial vessels alongside. After the sinking of the Adriana, survivors reported unjustified delays in their rescue, with the result that only 104 people were saved. Instead of supporting them, the Greek authorities went as far as to charge the survivors with ‘illegal entry’ into the country. In an effort to deflect public outcry and international condemnation, authorities disavowed responsibility for the killing of more than 600 people, and charged 9 of the survivors, blaming them as “smugglers” and for causing the shipwreck. The 9 defendants-survivors of the shipwreck were eventually acquitted by the Greek courts in May 2024 but were denied their right to compensation for nearly a year’s time unjustly spent in prison.

Following the refusal of the Hellenic Coast Guard to initiate an internal disciplinary investigation into the acts of its line of command and officers, the Greek Ombudsman did so at its own motion for administrative acts and omissions. Following criminal complaints by the survivors, investigations into the causes of the state crime have been conducted for over a year by the preliminary investigation authorities of the Piraeus Naval Court in relation to criminal responsibilities. The preliminary investigation was only completed at the end of November, and it is now at the discretion of the Head of the Naval Court Prosecutor’s Office whether to file charges against those responsible.

Extensive and in-depth investigations by independent and international investigative media outlets have not only highlighted the criminal actions of the competent Greek authorities in managing the Adriana incident, but also the concerted effort to cover up the events and protect those responsible.

In addition, the treatment of most of the shipwreck survivors violates the Greek state’s responsibility under international law, including the responsibility to provide shipwreck survivors with psychosocial support. Not only were most of the survivors denied international protection; they are now also threatened with deportation. At the same time, many of the victims’ families are still waiting for the bodies of their loved ones, which have not yet been repatriated.

Demanding justice for the state crime of Pylos is the least we owe to the memory of the victims of the shipwreck and their loved ones, as well as to those who survived the wreckage and have suffered unspeakable trauma. But it is also a crucial point in the struggle for the protection of migrant populations and their rights. At a time when European governments promote discrimination, racism, and exploitation, we join our voices in demanding a world of justice and solidarity.

The state crime of Pylos will neither be forgotten nor forgiven.

The signatory organisations demand:

  • The thorough investigation of the causes of the ‘Pylos shipwreck’ and the prosecution of those truly responsible.
  • The provision of needed psychosocial support and the granting of international protection to all survivors.
  • An immediate end to the criminalisation of migration and the use of “facilitation” as a pretext for the systematic incarceration of people on the move. 
  • An immediate end to increasingly lethal border violence.

Read the statement with all signatory organisations

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Sea-Eye wins third case against Italy this year

SEA-EYE 4

The Court of Vibo Valentia confirms obligation to rescue at sea – and reaffirms that following the instructions of the so-called Libyan Coastguard is not compatible with international law.

The Regensburg-based sea rescue organisation Sea-Eye e.V. has achieved a major legal success: The Court of Vibo Valentia has ruled that the crew of the SEA-EYE 4 fully complied with their duty to rescue at sea during an operation in the Mediterranean last year. The case concerned a 20-day detention order imposed on the vessel in October 2023.

The judge made it clear that the rescue operation carried out by Sea-Eye had never posed a threat to the safety of the people involved. She also stressed that following the instructions of the so-called Libyan Coastguard would not be compatible with international law.

“Once again, the Italian courts have ruled against Italian policy and administrative practice. This ruling is an overall success because the judge did not focus on procedural issues, but emphasised the duty to rescue at sea and made it clear that no one should drown in the Mediterranean,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye.

The SEA-EYE 4 was detained by the Italian authorities on the 30th of October 2023 after the crew refused to obey the orders of the so-called Libyan Coastguard. Around 50 people were rescued during the operation on the 27th of October 2023. The crew members of SEA-EYE 4 documented the ruthless and brutal methods of the so-called Libyan Coastguard and were ordered to leave the area under threat of violence. During several dangerous manoeuvres by the Libyan-flagged ships, four of the people seeking protection on the inflatable boat could only be recovered dead.

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35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Rescue SEA-EYE 4

Sea-Eye calls for immediate actions in the Mediterranean – More than 1,500 children have drowned in the Mediterranean since 2018.

20th November 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. But the agreement, which aims to ensure the protection and rights of children worldwide, stands in stark contrast to the reality at Europe’s borders: according to UNICEF, more than 1,500 children have drowned on the world’s deadliest escape route since 2018 – in 2023 alone, around 300 children lost their lives in the Mediterranean in search of protection.

“It is unacceptable that children continue to lose their lives in the Mediterranean when all EU Member States have committed to protecting the lives and rights of every child by signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This commitment must not remain an empty declaration. We must act to end the deaths at Europe’s borders and protect children on the move,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

According to the German Children’s Fund (Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk), the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is considered the most important human rights instrument for children and is the convention that has been signed by the most countries to date. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20th November 1989 and entered into force on 2nd September 1990. It has been in force in Germany since 1992.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 117 million people were displaced worldwide by the end of 2023. About 40 percent of them are minors. Sea-Eye has saved more than 18,000 people from drowning since 2016 – many of them children and young people. As part of a campaign to mark the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organisation is raising awareness of the plight of refugee children.

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