Sea-watch-5

The Court of Catania has lifted the 15-day administrative detention imposed on the 'Sea Watch 5', also suspending the associated financial penalty. This decision allowed the German NGO's vessel to resume its activities in the central Mediterranean, pending the substantive hearing scheduled for March 2 before the First Civil Chamber. The suspension of the measure represented a crucial step for the continuation of SAR operations at sea. The arrest was ordered following a rescue operation on Jan 25, during which the ship rescued 18 migrants aboard a small boat in distress in the Libyan SAR zone, in international waters. Among those rescued were two young children. After the rescue, the Italian authorities were tasked with designating a safe port, which was identified as Catania. According to the NGO, the sanction was imposed due to the failure to provide rescue coordinates to the Libyan authorities. This decision was dictated by Libya's persistent human rights violations in its treatment of migrants intercepted at sea. In their ruling, the judges in Catania emphasised the need to suspend the prefect's order, noting the risk of potentially harsher disciplinary sanctions should the alleged offenses be repeated. The Catania ruling came just hours after another decision by the Palermo Court of Appeal, which has ordered the Italian state to pay €76,000 in compensation, in addition to approximately €14,000 in legal costs, for the administrative detention of the 'Sea Watch 3' in 2019. The case dated back to the ship's entry into the port of Lampedusa. Then captained by Carola Rackete, it broke through the blockade imposed by Italian authorities to allow the disembarkation of 42 migrants rescued at sea. Following her arrest and the initiation of criminal proceedings, the case was dismissed in 2021.

Aftrer its arrival in Catania on Jan 31, 2026, the 'Sea-Watch' 5 was detained by the Italian authorities for 15 days after a rescue operation and fined €7,500. Sea-Watch was accused of failing to communicate with the Libyan RCC during the rescue of 18 people in distress at sea in international waters on Jan 24, despite the so-called Libyan Coastguard's notorious violence and disregard for human rights. The Italian authorities based their actions on the "Piantedosi" law, which obligates sea rescuers to communicate with the Libyan Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Tripoli during rescues in the Libyan SAR zone. The Sea-Watch organization was also accused of failing to communicate with the Libyan MRCC during rescue operations in the Libyan search and rescue zone. Together with a dozen other sea rescue organizations, Sea-Watch, as part of the Justice Fleet alliance, pledged in Nov 2025 to cease communication with the Libyan command center in order to prevent violent pullbacks by the so-called Libyan Coastguard. More than 70 extreme acts of violence by Libyan actors, such as the firing on rescue ships and people fleeing persecution, have been documented in the Mediterranean over the past ten years, the majority perpetrated by the so-called Libyan coast guard. Giulia Messmer, spokesperson for Sea-Watch: “By impounding the Sea-Watch 5, the Italian authorities are punishing us for simply complying with international law. We do not communicate with Libyan militias who fire on rescue ships and kill people fleeing persecution.” (SOS Humanity)

On Sep 29, the 'Sea-Watch 5' dock at Pier 32 of the port of Naples. Approximately 120 migrants then disembarked. The humanitarian ship was hit by gunfire from a Libyan patrol boat the previous night dduring the rescue of 66 boat people. No injuries were reported. After the scare, the ship headed to Naples. It was the second attack in just a few weeks; unprecedented acts of violence against civil society recorded in the Mediterranean.

On May 8, 2025, the 'Sea-Watch 5' rescued 190 people from two boats in distress in the Mediterranean Sea- The ship was directed to Civitavecchia, which has been assigned to us as a safe port. Four days earlier, the team on the 'Aurora', which belongs to the same NGO, had already rescued 71 migrants during the night of May 3-4. On May 1, the 'Sea-Watch 5' had already assisted 109 people and disembarked them on May 3. tjem returning to the rescue zone. That day, 104 migrants, including 41 minors, were initially rescued from a boat. Five more people were then picked up directly from the water while the humanitarian vessel searched for another boat in distress. Teams aboard the 'Ocean Viking' pulled 108 people from the water on the morning of May 5. The crew had spotted two overloaded boats in distress in the Libyan search and rescue zone. An 11-month-old baby was among the survivors. Many were suffering from exhaustion and seasickness, requiring urgent medical attention. The ship got assigned Ortona, located 1,296 km from the rescue zone, as safe port. Report with photos: https://www.infomigrants.net/fr/post/64459/mer-mediterranee--190-migrants-secourus-par-le-navire-humanitaire-seawatch-5

The 'Sea Watch 5', with 49 migrants on board, whchi were rescued near Malta on Nov 22, had been assigned the port of Ravenna but had to stop on Nov 25 at the port of Palermo due to health issues of some of the migrants on board. The Court for Minors in Palermo called for the disembarking of the minors on board. On the afternoon, six minors, five of whom were unaccompanied, were disembarked by order of the Juvenile Court of Palermo. The other migrants remained on board. Non-governmental organizations, in particular Sea Watch, have launched a sincere appeal, calling the partial landing "inhuman and discriminatory." The NGO called for all migrants on board to be immediately brought ashore, pointing out the difficulties and insecurities faced by migrants in these conditions. The living conditions on board the 'Sea Watch 5' have become a subject of public discussion. Migrants, already exhausted by the long journey, fpimd themselves in a stalemate with limited access to medical care and psychological support. The presence of unaccompanied minors on board is a further cause for concern, as these vulnerable young people need adequate protection and assistance. NGOs are urging that the competent authorities intervene to ensure the well-being of all migrants.

On Sep 28 the 'Sea Watch 5' has docked in the port of Vinaròs after ten months in which it has rescued and brought 834 people to safe ports. The ship had set sail from Vinaròs on Nov 14, 2023 to undertake its first rescue operations. In this period, in addition to saving hundreds of lives, it has also been affected by strategies to hinder humanitarian action carried out by the Italian state. On March 9, an arbitrary administrative blockade was imposed against the 'Sea-Watch 5' and other ships, such as the 'Sea-Eye 4' and 'Humanity I'. After 20 days, the Courts of the Italian city of Ragusa declared the different blockades as illegal. Meanwhile, the German NGO reported that during its forced stop at least 145 people had drowned without any kind of help. The last rescueoperation was on Aug 31 in an operation in which 289 people were taken to a safe port. On Sep 4, just the day after the survivors disembarked, the Italian authorities imposed a new sailing ban on the 'Sea-Watch' 5 for another 20 days. After this the ship that set sail from Civitavecchia back to the port of Vinaròs where it plans to carry out repairs, maintenance and supplies. For several weeks, teams from the local entity have been working to prepare their arrival and provide them with all the necessary tools to carry out the actions they require, and activated a mobile operating base equipped to provide its support service in the best conditions. Report with photo: https://castellonplaza.com/barcohumanitarioseawatch5vuelvevinarostrassocorrer834personas