SEA-EYE 4 brings 174 rescued people safely ashore in Genoa

Disembarkation SEA-EYE 4

The civilian rescue ship of the Regensburg-based organisation Sea-Eye e.V. has returned directly to the area of operation.

Around noon on Thursday (July 11th, 2024), 174 survivors on board the SEA-EYE 4 – including a mother and her baby – reached the port of Genoa. The people had been rescued in the Mediterranean on Sunday and Monday. During those two days, the vessel saved 231 people in distress in a total of 5 operations. The people rescued on the last operation were handed over to the Italian coastguard on Monday. For the remaining 174 survivors, the Italian authorities have designated Genoa – some 600 nautical miles from the operation area – as a port of safety.

“The three days it took us to reach Genoa were three more strenuous days on the Mediterranean for the weakened survivors. We are glad that we were finally able to bring them to safety. The fact that we carried out so many rescues in such a short time has shown one thing above all: We are desperately needed on site. That’s why it was important for us to lose as little time as we could and to return to the area of operation as quickly as possible,” says Ayesha Sattar, on-board doctor on the SEA-EYE 4 for German Doctors e.V.

At 9:30 p.m., just a few hours after SEA-EYE 4 arrived in Genoa, the vessel left the port to return to the area of operation. It is expected to arrive there early next week.

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5 operations in 24 hours: SEA-EYE 4 rescues 231 people in the Mediterranean Sea

Rescue SEA-EYE 4Ann Roy

The survivors included a mother with her baby and a woman nine months pregnant.

At noon on Sunday (July 7th 2024), the crew of the civilian rescue ship SEA-EYE 4 responded to a distress call provided by Alarmphone and evacuated 46 people from a rubber boat in distress. A few hours later, the vessel received another Alarmphone message. This time, the RESQSHIP sailing vessel NADIR was first on the scene, stabilized the unseaworthy rubber boat, which was losing air and partially filled with water, distributed life jackets and secured 22 people on life rafts, including a mother and her baby. When SEA-EYE 4 arrived around 7 p.m., it picked up all 60 survivors. At 2 a.m. on July 8th, the rescue vessel reached a fiberglass boat and rescued another 10 people. On Monday morning, the crew, together with the crew of the NADIR, brought a total of 58 people to safety on board of the SEA-EYE 4 from an overcrowded wooden boat that had already taken on water. The operation was completed at 7 a.m. Shortly after noon, the vessel found another rubber boat in distress and rescued 57 people, including a heavily pregnant woman. 

“Five rescues in 24 hours: That shows the state of emergency in the Mediterranean at the moment – and how important it is that we are there to save lives. But by sending civilian rescue ships to distant ports – we have to calculate six days for the journey to and from Genoa alone – we are losing valuable time in the search and rescue zone, during which we cannot help people in need. This policy can have fatal consequences for people seeking protection,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

“We had a pregnant woman on board who needed urgent medical attention. Many of those rescued have spent days in the Mediterranean and are weakened and severely dehydrated. Some are suffering from fuel burns, chemical burns that occur when gasoline mixes with seawater and then comes into contact with human skin,” adds Ayesha Sattar, on-board doctor on the SEA-EYE 4 for German Doctors e.V.

Following the instructions of the Italian authorities, the SEA-EYE 4 has handed over the people rescued during the last operation to the Italian Coast Guard. The vessel is now on its way to the port of Genoa, about 600 nautical miles away, where it is expected to arrive on July 11th. There, the people from the first four operations will be allowed to leave the rescue ship.

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Actress Sandra Hüller is patron of SEA-EYE 5

Schauspielerin Sandra Hüller
© Christian Hüller / Agentur Focus; Publication and redistribution are only permitted in connection with this press release.

From this summer, the sea rescue organisation Sea-Eye e.V. will be sending an all-weather lifeboat to join the rescue effort in the Mediterranean Sea. Beginning on World Refugee Day (June 20th) the organisation is looking for 3,000 ship sponsors to finance the missions.

The former German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) all-weather lifeboat NIS RANDERS will be saving lives in the Mediterranean as SEA-EYE 5. In order to finance the annual budget, the organisation is looking for 3,000 permanent donors to sponsor the ship and ensure the operation of the lifeboat with a monthly donation of 16.67 euros. With Oscar-nominated actress Sandra Hüller, Sea-Eye has gained a prominent patron for the ship.

“It is a great honour for me to be the patron of the SEA-EYE 5. Everyone has the right to freedom, peace and security. Sea rescue teams perform indispensable work that often means the difference between life and death. I want to support this valuable mission and help ensure that people in distress receive the help they so desperately need”, emphasizes Sandra Hüller.

The SEA-EYE 5 is Sea-Eye’s response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, the world’s deadliest migration route. The flexible all-weather lifeboat was built in 1990 and belongs to the 23.3 metre class, a series of seven DGzRS lifeboats. Thanks to its powerful engines, the SEA-EYE 5 can quickly reach boats in distress at sea. Although the ship is smaller than the SEA-EYE 4, it can easily reach the harbours of Lampedusa or Malta to bring survivors to safety. The SEA-EYE 5 is therefore an important addition to the civilian rescue fleet, which has, since 2015, been filling the gap created by the EU ceasing state sea rescue operations.

“We are delighted to be able to send a strong signal in favour of rescue at sea, especially on World Refugee Day: In a few weeks we will be operating a fast and flexible all-weather lifeboat in the Mediterranean. The fact that we have been able to win Sandra Hüller as the patron of the ship strengthens us in our mission to continue saving lives on the world’s deadliest escape route,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

As the NIS RANDERS, the all weather-lifeboat was in service off the coast of Maasholm in Schleswig-Holstein until 2018 and was operated by the DGzRS for a further two years without a fixed base. Most recently, the ship was privately owned. Before its first deployment in the central Mediterranean, the SEA-EYE 5 will be overhauled and her technology modernised. For the rescue of people in distress at sea, a daughter boat is carried in a stern hull that can be automatically retracted and extended. The ship also has a towing hook, mobile rescue equipment, and extensive navigation and radio equipment. There is also a sickbay on board. Its equipment and operation is made possible by the long-standing Sea-Eye partner organisation German Doctors e.V..

SEA-EYE 5 will be the fourth ship of United4Rescue, a civil society alliance initiated by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and supported by more than 900 partners. United4Rescue has launched a fundraising campaign to finance the purchase price of around €465,000. The conversion of the ship, the first missions, and part of the long-term financing are secured by two long-term loans from GLS Bank and a crowd campaign from its cooperation partner, GLS Crowd.

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Breaking: Sea-Eye wins in Italian court against Italy

SEA EYE 4

Judge declares 60-day detention in March 2024 unlawful

In a hearing on Wednesday morning, the court in Reggio Calabria ruled in favour of Sea-Eye e.V.’s lawsuit and declared the 60-day detention of the SEA-EYE 4 in March 2024 to be unlawful. The judge found the allegations that the crew of the ship had not followed the instructions of the so-called Libyan coastguard to be unproven.

“The Reggio Calabria judgement is a significant victory for us – and for all other sea rescue organisations! It clearly shows that the detention of civilian rescue ships is an abuse of state powers. We now urgently need the political support of the German government, because Italy is also disregarding the rights of our flag state with its unlawful detentions of German rescue ships. We urge the responsible ministries to take the judgement as an opportunity to campaign for an end to this practice in Italy”, says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

The reason given by the Italian authorities for the detention of the SEA-EYE 4 was that on March 7th, the ship did not follow the instructions of the so-called Libyan coastguard, who, according to eyewitnesses, were pointing weapons at the rescue boat. The crew also did not hand over the people seeking protection to them. The SEA-EYE 4 rescued a total of 84 people from distress at sea during the operation. It was only in February of this year that the Italian Supreme Court of Appeal classified the handover of people to the so-called Libyan coastguard as a criminal offence, as the civil war country of Libya is not a safe place due to serious human rights violations such as torture, slavery, rape and arbitrary executions. The 60-day detention of the SEA-EYE 4 was the longest administrative detention imposed on a sea rescue vessel to date under the so-called Piantedosi Decree. The law, which came into force in Italy at the beginning of 2023, requires ships to contact the Italian rescue coordination centre immediately after a rescue and to be assigned a port without responding to further distress calls.

Between June 2023 and June 2024 alone, the SEA-EYE 4 was detained in Italy for a total of 120 days. Sea-Eye has already filed several lawsuits against unlawful detentions. The judgements are often delayed by several years: a total of five further court cases are currently pending. The processes are associated with high costs and additional effort for the organisation. The next court hearing for one of the ongoing proceedings will take place on June 20th – the case concerns a detention of the ALAN KURDI, which took place over almost four years ago. The rescue ship was in operation for the organisation before the SEA-EYE 4 and rescued a total of 927 people from distress at sea between 2018 and 2021.

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All-weather lifeboat for the Mediterranean

NIS RANDERS

Sea-Eye and United4Rescue send all-weather lifeboat NIS RANDERS into action as SEA-EYE 5

The former German Maritime Search and Rescue Service’s (DGzRS) all-weather lifeboat NIS RANDERS will save lives in the Mediterranean as the fourth United4Rescue ship. United4Rescue and Sea-Eye are responding to political pressure on civil sea rescue, and its newly- created hurdles, with the fast ship which has been specially designed for sea rescue. United4Rescue is launching a fundraising campaign today to finance the purchase.

Following the joint purchase of the SEA-EYE 4 in 2021, Sea-Eye e.V. and United4Rescue are sending another ship to the Mediterranean: the NIS RANDERS, an all-weather lifeboat formerly belonging to the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). The ship will be overhauled in the coming weeks, christened SEA-EYE 5, and is due to embark on its first mission this summer. The all-weather lifeboat is a response to the ever-increasing hurdles on purely political grounds that are massively hindering civil sea rescue – hurdles such as the allocation of distant ports or the reform of the Ship Safety Ordinance.

“While Italy is making our work more difficult due to distant ports and restrictions, Germany is continuing to work on a reform of the Ship Safety Ordinance to restrict the use of small vessels and leisure craft for sea rescue. We must also expect difficulties in the future. That is why, together with our partner organisations, we are setting an example by sending an all-weather lifeboat whose suitability cannot be questioned in either Italy or Germany. The NIS RANDERS was built for a single purpose: to save human lives”, emphasises Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

In order to finance the purchase price of around 465,000 euros, the civil society alliance United4Rescue, initiated by the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD), and supported by over 900 partners, has launched a fundraising campaign today. The SEA-EYE 5 will be the fourth United4Rescue ship born from this alliance to save lives in the Mediterranean.

“These are stormy times – also for civilian sea rescue. Our ships are facing strong political headwinds and constant harassment from the authorities. The all-weather lifeboat is our response to this. Nobody can seriously question the suitability of a German rescue ship”, explains Sandra Bils, board member of United4Rescue. “The new ship is specially designed for open sea rescue, can reach maritime emergencies particularly quickly, and is also cost-efficient. In politically difficult times, we are making it clear what we stand for as a social alliance: for humanity, and the legal and humanitarian duty to rescue people at sea.”

The conversion of the ship, the first missions, and part of the long-term financing are secured by two long-term loans from GLS Bank and a crowd campaign from its cooperation partner, GLS Crowd. As a long-standing partner organisation of Sea-Eye and United4Rescue, German Doctors e.V. is making it possible to equip and operate the sickbay.

About the ship:

The NIS RANDERS/SEA-EYE 5 is a fast and flexible rescue vessel. She was built in 1990 by the Schweers shipyard in Berne-Bardenfleth and belongs to the 23.3 metre class, a series of seven DGzRS lifeboats. The NIS RANDERS was in service off the coast of Maasholm in Schleswig-Holstein until 2018 and was operated by the DGzRS for a further two years without a fixed base. Most recently, the ship was privately owned.

Before its first deployment in the central Mediterranean, the SEA-EYE 5 will be overhauled and her technology modernised. For the rescue of people in distress at sea, a daughter boat is carried in a stern hull that can be automatically retracted and extended. The ship also has a towing hook, mobile rescue equipment, and extensive navigation and radio equipment.

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Night-time operation for the SEA-EYE 4: 51 people rescued from an overcrowded rubber boat

Zwei Menschen stehen am Rand der Rettungszone des Schiffes und geben einer Person mit Schwimmweste die Hand, um sie an Bord zu heben. Zwei Menschen stehen unten und helfen von dort.

After the rescue, the Italian authorities ordered the vessel to the port of Genoa, more than 600 nautical miles away

On the night of May 29th 2024, the Alarm-Phone-Initiative informed the authorities and the rescue ship SEA-EYE 4 of a maritime emergency in the Maltese search and rescue zone. At around 2am, the crew of SEA-EYE 4 reached the rubber boat in distress and evacuated the 51 people on board.

“Immediately after arriving on the ship, most of the rescued people were very exhausted, hypothermic and suffering from seasickness. Now their condition has improved significantly and all those rescued are at least physically stable and in relatively good condition”, says Dr. Daniela Klein, on-board doctor on the SEA-EYE 4 for German Doctors e.V.

Julie Schweickert, Head of Mission on board the SEA-EYE 4, emphasises: “We found an overcrowded rubber boat that was being tossed back and forth by the waves. The rescue went without any incidents and we are now on our way to Genoa in north-west Italy with the 51 survivors. We expect to arrive there on Sunday –  that’s almost four days that we spend sailing to a distant port. Although there are enough ports of safety in the south of Italy, able to receive people on the move and provide the right services to them, we have to leave the search and rescue zone and cannot respond to further emergencies.”

The Italian authorities repeatedly assign harbors with long journey times to civilian sea rescue vessels.  After the SEA-EYE 4 last rescued 52 people from distress at sea on May 20th, the ship had to head for Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region. The port was around 900 nautical miles away from the scene of the operation.

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After rescuing 52 people: SEA-EYE 4 immediately on its way back to the area of operation

Drei Menschen stehen auf einem Boot und ziehen an einer Leine.

The sea rescue ship brought the survivors ashore in Ravenna (Italy)

The SEA-EYE 4 left the port of Ravenna on Saturday May 25th to return to its area of operation in the central Mediterranean. Earlier that day, the crew had evacuated 52 people to safety on the Italian mainland. They had been rescued at sea on May 20th. The SEA-EYE 4 responded to a distress call from the rescue vessel MARE*GO, which had spotted an unseaworthy and overcrowded fibreglass boat. After the rescue, the Italian authorities ordered the SEA-EYE 4 to the port of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region, 900 nautical miles away.

“We have the capacity on the SEA-EYE 4 to help many more people in need. But the Piantedosi Decree is forcing us to leave the area of operation and head for a distant port under threat of penalty. Despite the obstacles, we will not stop saving lives: That’s why the SEA-EYE 4 immediately returned to the area of operation”, says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

The so-called Piantedosi Decree makes the work of civilian sea rescuers much more difficult. For example, it requires rescue vessels to sail directly to a port designated by the authorities after a rescue operation. In the past, the SEA-EYE 4 was also detained because the crew rescued other people in distress at sea despite being assigned a port. Violations are punishable by fines and detentions. The decree contradicts international maritime law, which generally requires ships to assist people in distress at sea.

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SEA-EYE 4 rescues 52 people from distress at sea

Rettung SEA-EYE 4

Rescue ship MARE*GO sent out the distress call for the operation

The sea rescue ship SEA-EYE 4 rescued 52 people in the central Mediterranean on Monday evening (May 20, 2024). Two people required emergency medical treatment. The rescue operation took place in the Maltese search and rescue zone.

On Monday afternoon, the SEA-EYE 4 received a distress call from the sea rescue vessel MARE*GO from Zusammenland gUG, which had found the unseaworthy and overcrowded fibreglass boat. MARE*GO was able to equip the occupants with life jackets and stabilise the boat. As the weather was threatening to deteriorate, the crew called the SEA-EYE 4 for assistance, which arrived at the scene after a journey of around two hours. On arrival, the boat was unable to reach a safe port under its own power. At around 22:30, the SEA-EYE 4 successfully completed the rescue operation and evacuated all the people.

“When we arrived, we found the boat overcrowded and unsuitable for crossing the Mediterranean. There were 52 people on board, most of them from Syria. Our rapid arrival at the scene was crucial, as the weather conditions deteriorated significantly during the night. Although we have vulnerable people on board who need a safe place now, we were assigned Ravenna as our port of call – which means five more days in the Mediterranean for the survivors before we are finally allowed to dock”, says Julie Schweickert, head of mission on board the SEA-EYE 4.

“Of the 52 people rescued, two were initially unable to get on board independently due to severe pain and had to be lifted out of the lifeboat using a rescue seat; fortunately, the initial suspicion of head or spinal injuries was not confirmed during the examination in the on-board hospital, and their condition improved over time with pain medication. Several other patients also complained of painful bruises sustained during the rough crossing in the overcrowded boat. Due to the bad weather and high waves, many of those rescued also suffer from seasickness. Fortunately, the health checks carried out so far, which we will complete during the course of the day, have not revealed any other serious illnesses”, adds Dr. Daniela Klein, on-board doctor on the SEA-EYE 4 for German Doctors e.V.

The Italian authorities have assigned the SEA-EYE 4 to the port of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region, around 900 nautical miles away, for disembarkation. The sea rescue ship is expected to arrive there on Saturday.

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After 60 days of detention: SEA-EYE 4 returns to operation

Rescue Ship SEA-EYE 4

In the ongoing court proceedings, the allegations were deemed not proven

On May 14 2024, the SEA-EYE 4 set off on its mission from the port of Taranto, Italy. The Italian authorities had detained the rescue ship for 60 days and Sea-Eye e.V. filed an appeal against this. This is the longest administrative detention so far imposed on a sea rescue vessel under the so-called Piantedosi Decree. Following an initial hearing, the allegations that the crew of the SEA-EYE 4 did not follow the instructions of the so-called Libyan coastguard were deemed not proven by the presiding judge. The final decision is still pending.

“The fact that the presiding judge considers the allegations that led to our detention to be not proven shows that this is a politically motivated measure with no legal basis. Despite all the difficulties caused by the Italian government’s policy, we continue to fulfil our humanitarian responsibility, thanks, above all, to the active support we receive every day from private and institutional donors, as well as volunteers and full-time staff on shore and on board!”, emphasises Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

Daniela Klein, a doctor from German Doctors and part of the crew on the SEA-EYE 4 for the fifth time, adds: “Since my first mission in 2021, the situation for people fleeing war, torture, poverty, and rape has not improved, but, on the contrary, has worsened considerably. There are more and more dramatic rescue missions, civilian sea rescuers are massively constricted in their work by regulatory measures, and people continue to drown in the Mediterranean. My drive and motivation therefore remain unchanged: to oppose this shameful and outrageous policy, and, as a member of the crew, to help save refugees in distress from drowning at sea, and to provide them with medical assistance.”

The Piantedosi Decree, which was introduced at the beginning of 2023, makes the work of civilian sea rescuers considerably more difficult. As an example, it stipulates that rescue ships must head directly to a specified harbour after a mission and may not respond to any further distress calls. Alleged violations are penalised with fines and detentions. The reason the Italian authorities gave for the detention of the SEA-EYE 4 in March 2024 was that on March 7, the ship did not follow the instructions of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, which was pointing weapons at the rescue boat, and did not hand people seeking protection over to them. The SEA-EYE 4 rescued a total of 84 people indistress at sea during the operation. It was only in February of this year that Italy’s highest court of appeal classified the handover of people to the so-called Libyan coastguard as a criminal offence, as Libya is in the midst of a civil war and due to serious human rights violations such as torture, slavery, rape, and arbitrary executions is not a safe place.

The Piantedosi Decree has already resulted in the arrest of numerous sea rescue ships. Meanwhile, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than 730 people have drowned or disappeared in the Mediterranean in 2024 so far.

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Italy escalates the obstruction of civil search and rescue

Festsetzung Free the Fleet

Joint press release by United4Rescue, Sea-Watch, SOS Humanity and Sea-Eye

Within the last week, the Italian government has detained three NGO rescue ships flying the German flag. The Humanity 1, the Sea-Watch 5 and the Sea-Eye 4 are being prevented from carrying out their life-saving work on the basis of false accusations. For the first time, the Italian government has blocked one of the ships, the Sea-Eye 4, for 60 days, marking an escalation of its actions against the civil fleet.

In a new wave of detentions, the Italian government has blocked the rescue ships Humanity 1, Sea-Watch 5 and Sea-Eye 4 – after rescuing over 390 people in total. All three ships are part of the United4Rescue alliance supported by the German Protestant Church and over 900 partners. The 60-day detention of the Sea-Eye 4 represents an escalation of the obstruction of the civil fleet. Together with the 20-day detentions of the Sea-Watch 5 and the Humanity 1, the rescue ships are being actively kept out of the Mediterranean for a total of 100 days. Since January 2023, nine ships of the civil fleet have been detained a total of 19 times by the Italian authorities.

Each of the three current detentions is based on false accusations and unlawful demands. The Italian authorities falsely refer to uncooperative behavior by the ships’ crews towards the so-called Libyan coast guard. Yet all detentions were preceded by attempts by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard to force people in distress at sea back to Libya in violation of international law. In two cases – Humanity 1 and Sea-Eye 4 – the crews were threatened with weapons. A 17-year-old boy died on board the Sea-Watch 5 after all coastal states refused a medical evacuation.

“Italy is trying by all means to stop the humanitarian operations of sea rescue organizations. The detentions are an act of political violence against tens of thousands of refugees fleeing across the Mediterranean to seek protection in Europe. We are fighting this with all legal means at our disposal, because in addition to the detentions, our rescue ship is even threatened with permanent confiscation,” says Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.

“This escalation represents a new level of criminalisation of civil sea rescue by Italy! The aim is to impede the work of the rescue organisations by any means possible. Yet every day of the detention costs human lives. We are deeply concerned about this development and as United4Rescue we stand behind every single ship with our alliance of over 900 organisations. Together we demand the immediate release of the ships!”, says Sandra Bils, board member of United4Rescue.

Co-operation with the so-called Libyan coast guard in illegal ‘pullbacks’ to Libya violates international maritime and human rights law. Libya is not a safe place for people rescued from distress at sea, as was recently confirmed once again by Italy’s highest court. At the same time, by supporting the so-called Libyan coast guard, the European Union and its member states are complicit in the most serious human rights violations at sea and in Libyan detention centers.

SOS Humanity, Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye are taking legal action against the unlawful detention of their rescue ships. The so-called Piantedosi Law, on the basis of which the ships are detained, even provides for the seizure of civil rescue ships in the event of repeated detentions.

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