The European Union’s approach to maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean Sea is a confused affair. Somewhere between the protection of its borders and its obligations under international maritime and humanitarian law lies the EU’s response to migrant people travelling from parts of the Middle-East and Africa to reach Europe’s shores by…

(Text Translated from German) Dear friends of Sea-Watch at sea and at land, It has finally happened: On World Refugee Day, the 20th of June 2015, the “Sea Watch” departed for its first deployment from Lampedusa into the direction of the Libyan coast. It was not even 24 hours later when the first emergency call reached…

SeaWatch commentary en-route back to Lampedusa after first patrol. Watch the commentary below .

Abandoned dinghy offshore Libya! Watch the video HERE

At approximately 1000L this morning the Sea Watch received reports that a migrant vessel heading from Libya to Europe was in distress. Both the Italian rescue authorities and Watch the Med notified the Sea Watch although these seem to be separate unrelated incidents. 100 persons are said to be on board one of the vessels…

Earlier today I reported on two incidences of migrant vessels in distress at sea. After making our way to an area approximately 30NM off the coast of Libya we received confirmation from the Italian Coastguard that people onboard both vessels had been rescued – the first by a Singaporean Flagged commercial vessel, TORM ARAWA, and…

After commencing her maiden patrol at 1900L on Saturday evening the Sea Watch vessel is now making its way to a reported vessel in distress approximately 30NM off the Libyan coast. We expect to arrive on scene at 1930L. The distress vessel reports 150 persons on board and engine failure. A commercial vessel is apparently…

A short movie of life onboard Sea-Watch https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Seawatch-WP_20150621_001.mov

As part of the preparation for the Sea Watch’s first operational patrol, scheduled to commence this coming weekend, the crew have been hard at work. Engineering and electrical works, installation of a mechanical winch and the relocation of the vessel’s satellite antenna are just some of the jobs on board that have taken place. Procedurally,…

On Tuesday night 500 migrant people arrived on the island in an operation involving no less than five search and rescue vessels. As the fair weather and favourable sea conditions prevail more migrant people putting to sea in the coming days is expected. Today, as we went to the harbour to meet members of the…

The Sea Watch vessel left the Port of Carboneras on 6 June. She is expected to arrive in Lampedusa on or around the 15 June (AGW) with preparations on the Island continuing in anticipation of her imminent arrival.