SOS Humanity, Sea-Watch & Sea-Eye to take legal action against Italy for the ‘unlawful detention’ of their rescue ships

THREE refugee rescue organisations have announced that they are to take legal action against the Italian authorities for the “unlawful detention” of their rescue ships. SOS Humanity, Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye released a joint statement this afternoon blasting the authorities’ reasoning for keeping their ships in port for a total of 100 days. The Humanity 1

Activists work together to save 290 lives in the central Mediterranean

A COALITION of activist groups helped save the lives of 290 people in the central Mediterranean at the weekend. On Saturday morning, the Geo Barents, a refugee rescue ship operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), located a rubber boat in distress carrying 81 people in international waters off the coast of Libya. The crew was

Activists rescue hundreds as the Mediterranean becomes a ‘graveyard’ this week

HUNDREDS of people have been saved from unseaworthy boats by civilian rescuers in the central Mediterranean in the last few days, during a deadly week for refugees at Europe’s sea borders. Three civilian rescue ships were given permission to head toward Italy’s ports today, and another was told to head to Tunisia, after their crews

EU-supported Libyan Coastguards use guns to threaten refugee rescuers

Meanwhile, Italian authorities detain the Louise Michel after crew saves over 370 lives in three days and has run in with Libya’s so-called coastguards THE EU-supported Libyan Coastguards threatened the crew of an activist-run refugee rescue ship with gunfire in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea this weekend. The Ocean Viking, a rescue ship run

73 dead in shipwreck off Libya, as Italy’s parliament makes it harder for rescuers to save lives

Meanwhile, two rescue ships forced to disembark rescued in ports hundreds of miles away AT LEAST 73 people have been reported missing and presumed dead following a shipwreck off the Libyan coast, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) announced today, as Italy‘s parliament made it harder for rescue ships to save lives. “The boat, carrying

Rescuers disembark people the Italian government would have left to drown

THE CREW of a charity-run refugee rescue ship disembarked over 230 people at a port in north-west Italy today. The Geo Barents, a vessel run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), initially saved 69 people, including 25 minors, from an overcrowded rubber boat in international waters off the coast of Libya on Tuesday. Prior to this

Greek court to rule on ‘farcical’ charges against refugee rescuers this week

Meanwhile, two Mediterranean rescue ships carrying 110 refugees struggle through high waves and 40-knot winds after Italy forces them to sail over 1,000km to safety A COURT in Greece is to decide later this week whether to drop the “farcical” charges against 24 refugee rescuers after the trial today was postponed to Friday, following procedural

Italy’s far-right government accused of causing further harm to the traumatised refugees on two rescue ships

• Survivors on the Humanity 1 and Geo Barents begin hunger strike in protest against government’s mistreatment • Mission Lifeline disembarks 95 people in southern Italy • Ocean Viking declares emergency and heads to France • Inadequate translations postpone Iuventa pretrial again ITALY’S far-right government is causing further harm to people already traumatised, human rights

Rescuers launch legal action against Italy’s far-right government after it refuses to allow all survivors to come ashore

Humanity 1 and Geo Barents left waiting in port with survivors still on board as over 300 refugees remain at sea on the Rise Above and Ocean Viking AN ACTIVIST-RUN search-and-rescue organisation announced today that it is taking legal action again the Italian government after it refused to allow 35 people rescued in the Mediterranean

Rescuers call on France, Spain and Greece for help as Italy continues to deny safety to 985 refugees

Meanwhile, the Rise Above saves 77 more lives in the Mediterranean as Sea-Watch proclaims new ship a ‘strong symbol against fascism’ RESCUERS called on the maritime authorities in France, Spain and Greece for help today as Italy and Malta continued to refuse to deny safety to 985 people on three NGO ships off their coasts.