What Crew Members Say About Mediterranea

The 'Mediterranea' defied the orders of Italian authorities by docking on Nov 4 at Porto Empedocle to disembark 92 migrants rescued during three different operations between Nov 2 and 3. The first two took place between the morning and early afternoon of Nov 2, when the vessel rescued a total of 65 people in the Libyan SAR zone. 37 people were rescued from a fiberglass boat and 28 others from a dinghy that was sinking after three days at sea, during which the migrants had no food or drinks. In addition to several minors, there were many women among the castaways, hailubg from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of those rescued were abused and tortured in detention camps in Libya. On Nov 3, the crew detected a boat in distress 13 nautical miles southeast of the island of Lampedusa and rescued the 27 people on board. The small fiberglass vessel was overcrowded and had no life vests. The vessel had previously been instructed to make the longer journey to the Tuscan port of Livorno, which is 630 nautical miles away from the rescue area. The captain said it was necessary to disembark the rescued to protect their safety, health and security. A doctor with the health ministry's maritime, air and border unit USMAF checked the migrants' health condition on board. The NGO's team explained that tension had grown on the vessel as the survivors were in fact already physically and psychologically worn out and feared that, with further delays in disembarkation, they risked deportation to Libya and threatened desperate self-injuries. The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans requested on the afternoon of Nov 3 to dock and disembark all migrants in Porto Empedocle, as bad weather has hit the Strait of Sicily, with mistral winds blowing at over 20 knots and two-meter waves. The NGO had alerted the State Attorney's Office at the Juvenile Court of Palermo that 31 unaccompanied minors were on the boat. The rescued also included a pregnant woman. The captain then decided to dock at the Sicilian port after the authorities in Rome failed to respond to the ship's requests. The prosecutors have asked the Interior and Transport Ministries to order the disembarkation of minors as soon as possible in Porto Empedocle, and that all 92 rescued people be allowed to safely disembark. The captain and mission chief reported the situation to the port authorities of Porto Empedocle, who permitted the vessel to enter the port.

On Oct 8, the Court of Trapani has suspended the detention of the 'Mediterranea', declaring the Ministry of the Interior's order illegitimate and recognizing that the choices were made in the name of solidarity, to protect human lives. The court granted the request filed by the ship's captain and owner against the administrative penalty of 60 days of detention and a fine of €10,000 imposed by the Ministry of the Interior. The sanctions had been imposed after the ship refused to enter the assigned port of Genoca on Aug 23 and instead headed for the port of Trapani to disembark ten people rescued off the coast of the island of Pantelleria. While the court has not yet made a final decision on the matter, it has already determined that the sanction was unlawful. Furthermore, according to the court, the Ministry of the Interior ignored all of the crew's requests for an alternative safe port, even though these requests were always well-founded and based on specific circumstances. The NGO emphasized that the ship had docked at the nearby port of Trapani out of consideration for the physical and psychological condition of the rescued people. The court ruling explicitly acknowledged that the crew's conduct was not motivated by disregard for the authorities, but rather by a "solely spirit of solidarity" – with the goal of "protecting life and health at sea," as required by international maritime law. Finally, the court clarified that the ship must be released as soon as possible. The seizure was based on a decree issued by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Rescue NGOs frequently complain that their operations were being hampered by orders from the Italian government to sail to distant ports.

The Italian government has levied a heavy fine and a two-month detention on the 'Mediterranea', following its decision to disobey orders and disembark migrants in Sicily instead of an assigned port over 1,000 kilometers away. The ship had rescued ten people, including three unaccompanied minors, from the Mediterranean. The Italian authorities had directed the vessel to the distant port of Genoa for the disembarkation procedure. Defending its actions, the NGO stated that the survivors were exhausted and traumatized, and that forcing them to endure a several-day journey through dangerous waves up to three meters high would have been inhumane. The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans described the decision to dock in Trapani on Aug 23 as necessary to provide urgent medical and psychological care. In response, the Trapani Prefect issued sanctions including a 10,000-euro fine and a 60-day detention of the ship.

The 'Mediterranea' was detained in Trapani under the Piantedosi Decree. After rescuing ten migrants, the ship ignored the Italian authorities' instructions regarding the disembarkation port, which should have been Genoa. On Aug 23, the 'Mediterranea' was near Pantelleria when it decided to head for Trapani to disembark the migrants. This maneuver prompted the relevant authorities to intervene and order an administrative detention. According to law enforcement authorities, this measure was necessary to ensure compliance with Italian regulations. The authorities have emphasized the importance of adhering to the guidelines for disembarkation ports established for reasons of security and public order. Humanitarian organizations criticized this measure, pointing out the risk that migrants may not receive the necessary assistance and that the situation in the Mediterranean could further deteriorate. The operator Mediterranea Saving Humans expressed its regret at the decision.

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, the 'Sea Eye 4' brought 122 people to safety in four rescues beween the evening of March 7 and the morning of March 9. The 'Sea Eye 5' rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions, including a three-day-old baby. They had been on an inflatable boat for at least 12 hours and were now able to receive medical treatment. The 'Sea Eye 4' responded to a total of four emergency calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The ship was now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities assigned it the port, which is around 460 kilometers away. The rescue was carried out in a joint operation by the two organizations. On the early morning of March 10, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 5' also rescued 56 people from an inflatable boat. Among the people was a three-day-old baby. The people seeking protection had gotten into distress at sea in strong winds and high waves. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation lasted over two hours; at around 3:00 a.m. the crew was then able to bring everyone safely on board. A medical evacuation by the Italian Coastguard was organized for the baby, who had to be treated for an infection, and his family, to Lampedusa. The migrants had been travelling on a rubber dinghy for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many were weak and exhausted.

On the night of Feb 22, 2025, the 'Sea Eye 4' assisted 41 migrants who were navigating between large waves on an overloaded boat off the coast of Libya. They were transferred aboard the NGO ship, which got Naples assigned by the Italian authorities to drop them off. The voyage will take about three days.

Since July 7, the "Sea-Eye 4“ has rescued 231 migrants during five mission in the Mediterranean Sea. On the afternoon of July 7, the crew responded to an emergency call from Alarmphone and evacuated 46 people from a rubber dinghy in distress. A few hours later, the ship received another Alarmphone message. In this case, the sailing ship Nadir of the RESQSHIP organization was the first on the scene, stabilizing the unseaworthy rubber dinghy, which was losing air and was partially filled with water, handing out life jackets and securing 22 people on life rafts - including a mother and her baby. When the Sea Eye 4 arrived at around 7 p.m., it took over all 60 survivors. At 2 a.m. on July 8, the rescue ship reached a fiberglass boat and rescued another ten people. On the morning of July 9, the crew, together with the crew of the Nadir, brought a total of 58 people from an overcrowded wooden boat, into which water had already entered, to safety on board. The operation was completed at 7:00 a.m. Shortly after 12:00 p.m., the ship found another rubber dinghy in distress and rescued 57 people, including a heavily pregnant woman. The ship was directed to Genova to disembark the castaways.