20
June
2025
Search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean and fundamental rights - June 2025 update
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights regularly collects data on the operations of NGO vessels involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean. This includes any legal proceedings against them, as well as any difficulties in disembarking migrants in safe ports. This paper provides an overview of criminal investigations and other legal proceedings initiated by European Union (EU) Member States against civil society organisations deploying search and rescue vessels and aircraft in the Mediterranean and/or against individual crew members. The latest update covers the period from 2018 up until 1 June 2025.
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- Introduction
- 1. International and EU legal frameworks on search and rescue at sea
- 2. Non-governmental organisation ships and aircraft involved in search and rescue operations
- 3. Measures against civil-society actors involved in search and rescue operations
- Conclusion
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Annex: Legal proceedings by EU Member States against civil-society actors involved in search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean Sea (Update June 2025)
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Italy
- Ship ‘Geo Barents’, operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – no longer operational
- Ship ‘Open Arms’, operated by ProActiva Open Arms – operational
- Ship ‘Ocean Viking’, operated by SOS Mediterranée – operational
- Ship ‘Aita Mari’, operated by Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario – operational (at shipyard)
- Ship ‘Astral’, operated by ProActiva Open Arms – operational
- Ship ‘Louise Michel’, operated by M.V. Louise Michel – operational
- Ship ‘Mare Jonio’, operated by Mediterranea Saving Humans – under maintenance
- Ship ‘Mediterranea’ – operated by Mediterranea Saving Humans – operational (formerly ‘Sea-Eye 4’, operated by Sea-Eye)
- Ship ‘Aurora’, operated by Sea Watch – operational
- Ship ‘Sea-Watch 5’, operated by Sea-Watch – operational
- Reconnaissance aircraft ‘Seabird 1’ and ‘Seabird 2’, operated by Sea-Watch – operational
- Ship ‘Sea-Watch 4’, operated by Sea-Watch in collaboration with MSF – not operational
- Ship ‘Sea-Watch 3’, operated by Sea-Watch – not operational
- Ship ‘Humanity 1’, operated by SOS Humanity – operational
- Ship ‘Iuventa’, operated by Jugend Rettet – not operational
- Ship ‘Alan Kurdi’, operated by Sea-Eye – operational (now ‘ResQPeople’)
- Ship ‘Vos Hestia’, operated by Save the Children – not operational
- Ship ‘Vos Prudence’, operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – not operational
- Reconnaissance aircraft ‘Moonbird’, operated by Sea Watch with Humanitarian Pilots Initiative – not operational
- Ship ‘Alex Mediterranea’, operated by Mediterranea Saving Humans – no longer operational
- Ship ‘Eleonore’, operated by Mission Lifeline – not operational
- Ship ‘Aquarius’, operated by SOS Mediterranée with MSF – not operational
- Ship ‘Golfo Azzurro’, operated by ProActiva Open Arms – not operational
- Spain
- Germany
- The Netherlands
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Malta
- Ship ‘Lifeline’, operated by Mission Lifeline – not operational
- Ship ‘The Sea-Eye’, operated by Sea-Eye – not operational
- Ship ‘Seefuchs’, operated by Sea-Eye – not operational
- Ship ‘Sea-Watch 3’, operated by Sea-Watch – not operational
- Reconnaissance aircraft ‘Moonbird’, operated by Sea-Watch with Humanitarian Pilots Initiative – operational
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Italy
- About this publication
About this publication
© European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2025
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.
Neither the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights nor any person acting on behalf of the Agency is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025
HTML:
- ISBN: 978-92-9489-630-8
- doi:10.2811/7537575
- TK-01-25-012-EN-Q
PDF:
- ISBN: 978-92-9489-631-5
- doi:10.2811/8223897
- TK-01-25-012-EN-N
Photo credits (cover):
- Cover: © antomar/AdobeStock
FRA – EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria
T +43 158030-0 – F +43 158030-699
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