The lives of seven refugees could have been saved had the authorities acted earlier, activists say

Meanwhile, over 400 refugees on board the Geo Barents wait for Europe to finally allow them to come ashore THE DEATHS of seven refugees in the Mediterranean could have been prevented had the authorities arrived earlier, civilian rescuers charged today. The authorities were first alerted to a boat in distress carrying what was later confirmed

Mediterranea says police raid and investigation is aimed at smearing NGO refugee rescuers

‘We will not stop because of this sad and predictable attack; we will continue to be at sea,’ the NGO says AN ITALIAN NGO refugee rescue organistion said yesterday it would not stop its life-saving missions in the Mediterranean after the police launched a dawn raid on the company that manages its ship, crew and

Activists and relatives call for rescue of survivors adrift in the Mediterranean for nine days

THE LIVES of six people onboard a boat adrift in the Mediterranean for nine days are at serious risk, activists warned today. The relatives of the people on the boat first contacted Alarm Phone, an activist network which operates a hotline for refugees in distress at sea, about the case last Tuesday. Alarm Phone alerted

‘This would not have happened if the people we found were white’

LEA REISNER tells The Civil Fleet about the Louise Michel, a feminist refugee rescue ship named after the famous anarchist and funded by the world’s most elusive street-art star — and how the civil fleet came to its aid when Europe abandoned it “THE revolt of the tribes was deadly serious,” wrote the French anarchist

Forty-day nightmare finally over as the Mare Jonio brings the Etienne 27 to land

Mediterranea slams Europe for ‘shamelessly looking away, and disregarding international law and human rights’ THE nightmare journey for 27 refugees blockaded from Europe for 40 days and left in limbo on a merchant vessel finally came to an end this weekend. Twenty-six men and a pregnant woman fled Libya in a wooden boat on August

NGO rescuers demand new EU Council presidency compels member states to abide by refugee laws

Sea Watch and Mare Liberum’s demands include defunding Frontex, reforming the Dublin Regulation, ending support for the Libyan Coastguard, extending Free Movement and more THE GERMAN government must use the next six months as president of the Council of the European Union to adopt a human rights-based approach to migration, civil refugee rescue organisations demanded

43 people rescued after weekend of refugee pushbacks to Libya

Rescuers on board the Mare Jonio have witnessed four interceptions in two weeks at sea AN NGO rescue ship saved the lives of 43 people stranded in the Mediterranean this morning after twice witnessing the EU-supported Libyan Coastguard intercept refugee boats over the weekend. The Mare Jonio, a rescue ship operated by Italian organisation Mediterranea

NGO rescue ships finally released after month-long seizure in Italy

Meanwhile, a refugee woman gives birth on a dinghy stranded off the coast of Libya TWO REFUGEE-rescue ships detained in an Italian port for over a month were finally given permission to leave today as refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean continued to be pushed back to Libya. Italian authorities seized the Alan Kurdi and

The Mare Jonio sets sail for the central Mediterranean following 24 hours of refugee tragedies

Twenty bodies found from shipwreck off Tunisian coast yesterday, while the IOM reports the Libya Coastguard returned 185 people to war-torn country ANOTHER NGO refugee rescue ship is making its way to the central Mediterranean following a day of tragedies. The bodes of at least 20 people were found off the coast of Tunisia yesterday