Taking On a Deadly Duty: Civilian Rescue Teams Battle the Mediterranean Sea
Thousands met tragic ends while attempting to escape by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Since 2015, the Mediterranean has been a deadly crossing for tens of thousands. Risks range from dangerous sea passages to being kidnapped into torture prisons. Civilian search and rescue (SAR) teams, having saved over 175,000 lives since then, now reflect on their decade of work. They're urging governments to step up and bear responsibility.
In the heart of the action are 21 organizations, including ten from Germany, working to save lives via 15 rescue ships, seven sailboats, and four aircraft. Yet, more than 28,932 people have perished or disappeared while trying to cross the Mediterranean since 2015, as per the SAR teams' reports. Over 21,700 fatalities occurred in the central Mediterranean alone between Libya, Tunisia, Italy, and Malta. It translates to an average of five adults and one child per day, with the real numbers probably higher.
Speaking Out:
Mirka Schäfer of SOS Humanity sharply criticized the inaction of those in power. He emphasized that current EU countries have been "knowingly letting thousands of people drown or be taken to torture camps" by ignoring distress calls and hindering SAR teams' work. Since 2023, Italian authorities have detained civilian SAR ships in 28 cases, posing risks to lives and limiting deployment time along refugee routes.
A Shifting Landscape:
Lisa Gross from Alarm Phone, an organization receiving distress calls and coordinating rescue actions, highlighted the responsibility that should ideally belong to state institutions. However, coast guards from Italy and Malta pass on information to the Libyan coast guard, sending people to torture camps in Libya. EU countries like Italy and Malta are under fire for supporting illegal returns of refugees to Libya and Tunisia.
Funding the Mission:
Civilian SAR operations rely heavily on donations, with a broad alliance of engaged individuals and organizations providing support. Sandra Bills of United4Rescue stated, “We don't want to watch people die in the Mediterranean” while criticizing the criminalization of sea rescue. The solidarityof donors extends to rescue operations in other sea areas like the English Channel.
Mounting Pressure:
As the death toll rises, Civilian SAR teams press European governments, particularly Germany and the EU, to steer clear of more restrictive migration policies. The call for change includes increased funding for rescue patrols and arrival centers, with proposed budgets ranging from €108 million to €240 million annually. Human rights organizations emphasize the urgency for governments to respect international law, remove obstacles to rescue efforts, and establish effective, coordinated SAR programs to save lives in this deadly migration route.
Tune in as Green Party parliamentarians Marcel Emmerich and Filiz Polat demand an end to the criminalization of civilian sea rescue and advocate for a "humane migration policy" in place of populist isolation. They back the call for a new EU rescue mission.
Keywords:
- Civilian Rescue
- Mediterranean Sea
- Migration
- Refugees
- Human Rights
Additional Insights:
- In 2025 alone, at least 743 people have died attempting to cross to Europe via the Mediterranean, including 538 on the Central Mediterranean route, highlighting the continuing danger and urgent need for rescue operations.
- The introduction of the Piantedosi Decree and policies such as distant port assignments have drastically limited the ability of SAR vessels like the Geo Barents to conduct rescues. These constraints led to a significant decline in rescues by some vessels.
- The Italian Constitutional Court is currently hearing challenges to laws criminalizing certain sea rescue activities, with implications for maritime rescue and human rights protections in the region.
- Human Rights Watch and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights are emphasizing the fundamental human rights at stake, urging respect for international legal obligations to protect lives at sea and prevent abuse at Europe’s borders.
- The civilian rescue teams, who have saved over 175,000 lives since 2015, are urging European governments, particularly Germany and the EU, to step up and bear responsibility, by adopting less restrictive migration policies, increasing funding for rescue patrols and arrival centers, and effectively coordinating Search and Rescue (SAR) programs.
- In the midst of the Mediterranean crisis, politics and general-news remain intertwined with crime and justice, as human rights organizations denounce the inaction of those in power, such as EU countries, for their role in knowingly letting thousands of people drown or be taken to torture camps by ignoring distress calls and hindering SAR teams' work.
