SEA-EYE 4 rescued over 400 people on its first rescue mission

Aid organizations have to operate without any federal support

The crew of the new alliance vessel SEA-EYE 4 rescued more than 400 people from boats that are not suitable for the high seas in six rescue missions during Sunday and Monday, May 16-17, 2021. All people were brought aboard SEA-EYE 4 and were medically examined. Among the rescued are many children, an 8-month young baby and several pregnant women.

“The EU states have escalated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the central Mediterranean. Fleeing becomes more and more dangerous as people do not even dare to call for help anymore, because the European rescue coordination centers only send them the so-called Libyan coast guard”, says Gorden Isler, chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

“The SEA-EYE 4 has saved lives for the first time – what great news! We are very happy and proud that our second alliance ship was able to bring more than 400 people to safety. The duty to rescue at sea is an international law – even if this duty is currently only carried out by civilian sea rescue and not by the member states of the EU”, says Thies Gundlach, Chairman of United4Rescue.

For the first time German Doctors supports a rescue mission of Sea-Eye operationally. On board, mission doctor, Stefan Mees, examined the rescued people: “We had to treat 25 people in the onboard hospital for a longer time. Among them three pregnant women – one in her 8th month. 3 small children were also in a bad condition; however, we were able to stabilize them in the meantime. One man was diagnosed with pneumonia. To be on the safe side, we performed a corona test on him, which fortunately turned out negative. The main problems are: Hypothermia, dehydration, malnutrition as well as seasickness, and fainting.”

So-called Libyan coast guard abducts hundreds of people to civil war country

In the last 48 hours, the so-called Libyan coast guard has dragged hundreds of people back to the civil war country. They are thus threatened with internment and serious human rights violations. As media reports have shown, Frontex is cooperating with the so-called Libyan coast guard. The crew of the SEA-EYE 4 has also already observed this. For example, on Friday, the crew received a distress call from about 50 people on a small wooden boat forwarded by Alarm Phone. When the crew found the boat, there was no trace of the people. During the operation, the SEA-EYE 4 sighted a Frontex aircraft.

“Since Frontex directly or indirectly communicates the coordinates of boats carrying people who seek protection to the so-called Libyan coast guard, we have to assume that these people have been victims of another illegal refoulement at the instruction of EU states and that the people have been returned to Libya’s detention camps”, Isler said.

During the third rescue yesterday, the crew became aware of a boat because a Frontex aircraft was circling not far from SEA-EYE 4, but without directly informing Sea-Eye about the maritime emergency. There were another 50 people on the boat.

“EU states are using the Libyan coast guard to drag people into a civil war that has lasted more than a decade. Everyone knows what is currently happening. The EU states would rather see these people dead or in Libya than take responsibility for them”, Isler said.