Mediterranean: 175,000 Migrants Rescued Since 2015, NGOs Call for EU Rescue Program
Sea rescue organizations reported on June 18 that they have saved over 175,000 migrants from distress at sea in the Mediterranean over the past decade. Despite this effort, European governments face harsh criticism for their handling of migration rescue operations. Meanwhile, the German NGO vessel Sea-Eye 5 remains blocked in Sicily after disembarking migrants.
NGO Rescue Efforts, Political Obstacles, and Migrant Death Toll
Since 2015, civilian sea rescue ships have saved thousands in the Central Mediterranean, stepping in where state agencies have fallen short. According to Lisa Groß from the Alarm Phone distress hotline, maritime rescue coordination centers in Italy and Malta often relay migrant positions to the Libyan coast guard, which returns migrants to detention and torture camps in Libya. The NGOs accuse these EU countries of supporting illegal migrant returns.
From 2017 onwards, these rescue missions have increasingly faced obstruction, criminal prosecutions, and ship confiscations. Italy’s government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni intensified these measures in 2023, detaining 28 rescue vessels and forcing rescues to disembark in distant ports, causing significant operational downtime.
Since 2015, nearly 22,000 migrants have died or gone missing crossing the Central Mediterranean about six deaths per day on average. The deadliest year was 2016, with 4,574 deaths, followed by 2023 with 2,526. Tragic incidents like the 2023 Cutro shipwreck, where at least 94 migrants perished, highlight the perilous journey migrants face.
Currently, 21 organizations operate 15 rescue vessels, 7 sailboats, and 4 reconnaissance aircraft in the Central Mediterranean, mostly funded by private donations. Despite these efforts, civilian rescue ships face systematic obstruction and political blockades from European authorities.
Calls for a Coordinated EU Rescue Operation and Sea-Eye 5 Detention
NGOs demand the EU to reinstate a coordinated Mediterranean rescue operation, similar to the discontinued Mare Nostrum mission. Their proposed operation, ‘Mare Solidale’ (Sea of Solidarity), would rely on existing EU humanitarian frameworks to safely rescue and receive refugees in compliance with maritime law. Without such an EU-wide program, thousands risk dying at sea or remain trapped in cycles of violence in Libya.
The German NGO vessel Sea-Eye 5 was detained at the Sicilian port of Pozzallo after rescuing 65 migrants from an overcrowded rubber dinghy near Libya on June 16. Italian authorities accused the vessel of procedural violations, allegations the NGO denies as unfounded. Sea-Eye vows to take legal action, insisting their crew acted in accordance with international maritime law and in the best interest of rescued individuals, including vulnerable migrants like a pregnant woman and severely injured persons.
