SEA-EYE 4

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NGO to file a complaint against Italian authorities for blocking rescue ships

The German NGO Sea Eye has announced its intention to file a complaint against the Italian authorities for the seizure of the "Sea Eye 4" for 60 days in the port of Reggio Calabria. In recent hours, the 144 migrants rescued by the humanitarian ship in the central Mediterranean, including 20 unaccompanied minors, two babies and several families, have disembarked in this port. The first group of 84 migrants were from different countries such as Gambia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Ghana, while the second group of 60 migrants came from Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan and Burkina Faso. The NGO will initiate proceedings before the competent courts, thus contesting the reason given for the blocking. According to Italian authorities, the ship interrupted a Libyan Coastguard operation, which Sea Eye categorically disputes. A boat of the so-called Coastguard arrived at high speed, while the 'Sea Eye 4' had already started to evacuate the inflatable boat in distress. Additionally,the Libyans acted recklessly by pointing their weapons at the crew of the rescue ship. Furthermore, the humanitarian ship “Sea Watch 5” has also been blocked for 20 days by the Italian authorities in the port of Pozzuolo, in southern Italy, after disembarking 51 migrants and the body of a deceased young man. Sea Watch contested this decision and planned to challenge the measure in court, emphasizing the importance of not hindering rescue operations at sea. In addition, the Italian Supreme Court recently established jurisprudence by considering that Libya was not a safe port, thus opening the way to possible appeals by relief NGOs and calling into question the Italian government's migration policy.

NGO ship detained for 60 days

After the arrival in Reggion Cantabria on Mach 10 with a total of 145 rescued migrants on board, the Italian authorities detained the 'Sea Eye 4' for 60 days and justified this by saying that the helpers in the Mediterranean took refugees on board even though Libya's (so-called) Coastguard was ready to take them. The aid organization said such action would have violated international law. The migrants were picked up from boats that had made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe from Africa.

NGO ship reached Reggio Canabria with 144 migrants

Since the last rescue on March 6, the 'Sea Eye 4' has been called to boats in distress two more times via Alarmphone. While in the first case the Italian Coastguard was able to take over the rescue in the presence of the rescue ship, the 'Sea Eye 4' rescued another 61 people under most difficult conditions on the night of March 8 from an unseaworthy wooden boat, which was in danger of capsizing due to the extreme amount of water ingress. Despite the challenging sea conditions, the crew managed to rescue all people safely. Since then, the medical team from German_doctors and Sea-Eye has been working under high pressure in extreme conditions: one patient was suffering from extreme fuel poisoning. The pilot had to abort the requested emergency evacuation through Malta due to difficult weather conditions. It was only on March 9 morning that the crew of an Italian helicopter managed to hoist the patient There was still particular concern for two babies aged six and 12 months. The ship headed to the port of Reggio Calabria on March 10 with 144 migrants on board. The majority of the migrants came from Syria and Somalia, and were picked up from different boats in the Mediterranean Sea, after a mission lasting two and a half weeks. The Italian authorities were now in charge of proceeding with the rescued people, distributing them in several reception centers. At the moment it was unknown if the 'Sea-Eye 4' would be detained in the port, as has frequently happened in previous operations, given that instead of Reggio Calabria, the ship was assigned by the authorities to the port of the city of Ancona as a destination.