Search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean and fundamental rights - June 2025 update
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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
After Italy ended its Mare Nostrum rescue programme in the central Mediterranean in 2014, civil-society organisations started deploying SAR vessels and reconnaissance aircraft, rescuing a significant number of migrants and asylum seekers in distress at sea.
In August 2014, the organisation Migrant Offshore Aid Station deployed the vessel Phoenix. Since then, several civil-society organisations have deployed a total of 43 rescue vessels and four reconnaissance aircraft, mainly in the central Mediterranean. The figure below provides an overview of deployed assets. These assets seek to reduce fatalities and bring rescued people to safety in the EU.
As of 1 June 2025, 17 vessels and three aircraft were still deployed; the rest had discontinued operations. One of the deployed vessels was under maintenance (Mare Jonio).
Figure – NGO assets involved in SAR operations in the Mediterranean Sea between August 2014 and 1 June 2025 and whether they are operational and/or facing legal proceedings
The figure shows that 17 vessels and three aircraft are operational, 27 assets have been stopped before 1 June 2025 and one vessel is under maintenance.
Source: FRA (2025) based on public sources and civil-society input.