Sea-Watch

Sea-Watch is a German non-governmental organisation that operates in the Mediterranean sea.

Sea-Watch
Established19 May 2015  (6 years ago)
FoundersHarald Höppner 
HeadquartersBerlin 
Revenue1,608,109 euro 

History

On 6 November 2017, the crew of a Sea-Watch ship rescued 58 people in an operation hindered by the Libyan Navy. Twenty other people drowned.[1][2][3] Video footage that implicated the Libyan Coast Guard was later used in legal action against Italy in the European Court of Human Rights.[4]

2018

The ship Sea-Watch resumed her operations in November 2018[5][6][7] after it was detained in Malta between July and October.[8]

On 22 December 2018, another of the organisation's ships, Sea-Watch 3, rescued around 32 people,[9] but was unable to dock in Malta, Italy, or Spain.[10][11]

2019

On 3 January 2019, France, Germany and the Netherlands offered to take some of the 49 migrants blocked off Malta on Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye "as a collective allocation effort".[11][8] According to Mina Andreeva, the spokeswoman of the European Commission, more solidarity is needed along with "foreseeable and sustainable solutions for the landing and re-localization in the Mediterranean"; she quoted the commissioner in charge of migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos.[12]

Two weeks after the rescue, the 49 migrants were still blocked off Malta on Sea-Watch 3 and the Sea-Eye,[13] in spite of an appeal by Pope Francis.[14] On 9 January, they were finally allowed to disembark in Malta[15] after an agreement to relocate them to eight other European countries was reached.[16][17] On 19 January, Sea-Watch 3 rescued 47 further migrants. The Italian government forbade her from entering the port, and initiated legal action against the Netherlands;[18] the organisation referred the case to the European Court of Human Rights.[19] On 29 January, Italy, Germany, France, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and Luxembourg agreed to relocate the 47 migrants.[20] Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Salvini demanded that Sea-Watch 3 be detained.[20] As the ship was docked at the Italian city Catania to land the migrants, she was blocked by the Italian military on the grounds of "several non-conformities"; the organisation called the obstruction political pressure.[21]

On 19 May 2019, the Italian police seized Sea-Watch 3 at the island Lampedusa, allowing the disembarking of the 47 migrants whom she had recently picked up on 15 May 2019.[22][23] Reports of the operations angered Matteo Salvini, who opposed the landing of the migrants.[23][24] In June 2019, the ship was again detained; 53 migrants had been rescued from the coast of Libya on 12 June.[25] Italy allowed only 11 especially vulnerable people to disembark; on 25 June 2019, the captain of Sea-Watch 3 threatened to land at Lampedusa in spite of the interdiction,[26] eventually entering Italian territorial waters. According to the organisation, it was "not as a provocative act, but out of necessity and responsibility".[27][28][29] A column in French newspaper Le Monde stated that Captain Carola Rackete was only "reminding us all of the existence of international conventions such as that stating rescue at sea is a duty for all".[30] In an editorial in the same newspaper, 700 celebrities supported the migrants and opposed Salvini.[31] A poll by Italian daily Il Giornale showed that 61% of Italians were opposed to Sea-Watch 3 landing at Lampedusa.[32] During the night of 28 to 29 June, the ship was seized, and Carola Rackete was arrested for helping illegal immigration.[33] Sea-Watch 3 later collided with the 50-knot Class 800 patrol boat[34] "808" of Italian law enforcement agency Guardia di Finanza, which had tried to block the larger vessel from docking. The boat was pushed against the dock and slightly damaged.[35] Since the Guardia di Finanza was legally considered a combatant while it protected waterways, the Italian media reported that Rackete could also be charged with attack on a warship, a crime punishable with 3 to 10 years in prison.[36] Two days later, an Italian judge decided that no further incarceration was necessary, and Rackete was released. As of July 2019, the criminal investigation continues.[37]

Ships

Sea-Watch is a former 21.12-meter (69 ft 3 in) fishing ship. Built in 1917[38] and purchased in 2015, Sea-Watch used her in 2015 until she was transferred later that year to the organisation Mare Liberum.

Sea-Watch 2 is a former fishing research ship, originally entering service as Clupea in 1968. She was deployed on 14-day rescue operations between Libya and Malta in 2016 and 2017 along with Sea-Watch. Sold to the organisation Mission Lifeline, she now operates under the name Lifeline.[39]

Sea-Watch 3 is a 50.53-meter (165 ft 9 in) ship. Built in 1972 as an offshore supply ship, the organisation Médecins Sans Frontières commissioned it as a search and rescue vessel under the name Dignity I.[40]

Sea-Watch 4 is a 60.70-meter (199 ft 2 in) ship. Built in 1976 as a research ship, the Evangelical Church in Germany formed a association to buy the ship in early 2020. The ship is run by a cooperation of Sea-Watch and Médecins Sans Frontières and operated as a German-flagged rescue vessel in the Mediterranean Sea since August 2020.[41]

Ships of Sea-Watch
  • MS Sea-Watch, a 100-year old former fishing cutter, on her first mission
  • MS Sea-Watch surrounded by refugee boats and life rafts while it waits for assistance on 5 July 2015
  • Sea-Watch 2 crowded with survivors who cover themselves in rescue blankets on 19 March 2017
  • Sea-Watch 3 patrolling the central Mediterranean search and rescue area on 19 December 2018, two days before the rescue of 32 people. The incident led to an 18-day standoff in front of Malta.

See also

References 
  1. "Des chercheurs retracent le "sauvetage" désastreux de 150 migrants en Méditerranée". Le Monde.fr. 2019-01-03. ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  2. Heller, Charles; Pezzani, Lorenzo; Mann, Itamar; Moreno-Lax, Violeta (2018-12-26). "'It's an Act of Murder': How Europe Outsources Suffering as Migrants Drown (Opinion)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  3. "Enquête. Comment l'Europe et la Libye laissent mourir les migrants en mer". Courrier international (in French). 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  4. "Une vidéo du "New York Times" montre comment l'Europe laisse les migrants mourir en mer". Libération. 2019-01-04.
  5. "Trois ONG lancent une opération de sauvetage au large de la Libye". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2018-12-23.
  6. ""Aquarius" : "La non-assistance à personnes en danger est revenue en force en Méditerranée"". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-12-23.
  7. "Migrants : "Il existe une politique de criminalisation des sauvetages en mer"". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-12-23.
  8. "Les ONG de sauvetage de migrants sont de retour en Méditerranée". Le Monde. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  9. "Christmas at sea: 344 people rescued within 24 hours – no safe port for the rescued people on Sea-Watch 3 • Sea-Watch e.V." Sea-Watch e.V. 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  10. "Migrants en Méditerranée : l'appel de la ligue des droits de l'homme Corse". France Bleu (in French). 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  11. "La France prête à accueillir des migrants bloqués au large de Malte". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  12. "49 migrants dans l'attente de la bonne volonté européenne". Bruxelles2.eu. 2019-01-05.
  13. "Migrants : les navires Sea-Watch et Sea-Eye toujours bloqués en mer". TV5MONDE (in French). 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  14. "Migrants bloqués au large de Malte : le pape lance un appel à la solidarité européenne". Le Monde. 2019-01-07.
  15. "EU hostages finally set free after 19 days aboard Sea-Watch 3 • Sea-Watch e.V." Sea-Watch e.V. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  16. "Les cris de joie des réfugiés du Sea-Watch en apprenant qu'ils ont enfin le droit d'accoster à Malte". Le Huffington Post (in French). 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  17. "Scènes de joie à bord du Sea Watch avant le débarquement à Malte". www.voaafrique.com (in French). 2019-01-09.
  18. "Italy vows to sue NGO over migrant rescue boat". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
  19. "Migrants : l'ONG Sea-Watch saisit la CEDH contre l'Italie". Le Monde (in French). 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  20. "L'Italie parvient à un accord sur les 47 migrants du "Sea-Watch"". Le Monde (in French). 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  21. "Le navire "Sea-Watch" bloqué en Sicile par les gardes-côtes italiens". Le Monde (in French). 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  22. "Après la saisie d'un bateau de Sea Watch, des migrants débarquent à Lampedusa, malgré l'interdiction de Matteo Salvini". Franceinfo (in French). 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  23. "Matteo Salvini couronné "prince" des extrêmes-droites européennes voit son autorité bafouée en Italie" (audio). France Culture (in French). Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  24. "Le ministre de l'intérieur italien Salvini furieux de voir des migrants arriver à Lampedusa". Le Monde (in French). 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  25. "Réunis à Malte, les pays d'Europe du Sud, dont la France, restent en désaccord sur l'accueil des migrants". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  26. "La tension monte autour du "Sea-Watch", bloqué en mer avec 42 migrants". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  27. "Treize jours après avoir secouru plus de 50 migrants, le "Sea-Watch 3" force le blocus des eaux italiennes". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  28. "Sea-Watch 3, l'honneur de désobéir". France Culture (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  29. Sall, Rouguyata. "Le "Sea-Watch 3" toujours bloqué au large de Lampedusa après avoir forcé le blocus italien". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  30. "Migrants : les leçons à l'Europe de la capitaine du "Sea-Watch 3"". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  31. ""Sea-Watch 3": "C'est maintenant qu'il faut inverser la destruction du droit et de l'humanité"". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  32. (in Italian) Sea Watch a Lampedusa: ma il 61% degli italiani non vuole che attracchi, ilgiornale.it, 2019-06-27
  33. "Migrants en Méditerranée: le "Sea-Watch 3" accoste à Lampedusa malgré le refus du gouvernement, sa capitaine arrêtée". Le Monde (in French). 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  34. "Vedetta costiera V.800" (PDF). GDF.gov.it (in Italian). 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
  35. "Sea Watch, la manovra raccontata dai finanzieri: "Poteva schiacciarci. Voleva attraccare a tutti i costi, non speronare"". Ilfattoquotidiano.it (in Italian). 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  36. Rüb, Matthias (2019-06-29). "Riskantes Anlegemanöver lässt Stimmung kippen". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  37. "Matteo Salvini: Sea-Watch-Kapitänin Carola Rackete soll nach Hause". .nau.ch (in German). 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  38. "Sea-Watch 1 • Sea-Watch e.V." Sea-Watch e.V. (in German). Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  39. "Sea-Watch 2 • Sea-Watch e.V." Sea-Watch e.V. (in German). Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  40. "Schiffsdetails Für: SEA WATCH 3 (Salvage/Rescue Vessel) – IMO 7302225, MMSI 244140096, Call Sign PE7098 Registriert In Netherlands | AIS Marine Traffic". MarineTraffic.com (in German). Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  41. "MSF and Sea-Watch announce collaboration to save lives at sea". msf.org. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
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