Help Sea-Eye save migrants from drowning at sea

Much of Europe has become desensitised to the plight of refugees crossing the Mediterranean to escape war, persecution and hunger. The failure of the European Union to acknowledge such responsibility for human beings does not change the fact that within the first 6 months of this year, 813 deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean have been recorded. 

These statistics are similar to those of last year, where the number of deaths for the full 12 months amounted to a shocking 1.4 thousand. 

Sea-Eye is a non-profit and civil organisation that came together as a response to the escalating numbers of deaths that occurred as thousands fled across the Mediterranean in 2015. It undertakes vital rescue missions to, very literally, ‘Save Lives’ and provides urgent medical assistance to those rescued from the water. 

Despite European states’ attempts to sabotage their vital humanitarian work, as well as the removal of the Dutch flag from their ships, the organisation has saved the lives of over 15,000 people in over 70 missions. 

However, the effort to obstruct non-governmental attempts to save migrants continues. Only two weeks ago was Sea-Eye’s newest rescue ship detained by the Italian coast guard, where health and safety regulation was ironically used to prevent further rescue missions. 

“In essence, the argument is always the same: German rescue ships would regularly save too many people from drowning and do not have the right certification for such a humanitarian purpose,” commented Gorden Islethe, chairman of Sea-Eye e.V. 

Sea-Eye’s efforts highlight Europe’s disregard for the human rights of refugees as well as the importance of maintaining our humanity through action rather than indifference. 

Shifting away from the unsettling politics and policies of many Mediterranean countries, Sea-Eye reminds us of the individual stories of each migrant, breaking down the statistics into faces and names. 

An example of this is the NGO’s third rescue ship, baptised ‘Alan Kurdi’ after the three-year-old Syrian boy whose washed up body was morbidly captured in a photo that made headlines. The Alan Kurdi has saved more than 900 people from drowning. 

To support Sea-Eye and directly contribute to saving lives, you can apply to be a crew member or join Sea-Eye’s local groups to assist sea rescue from land. Alternatively, you can also donate or become a ship sponsor to fund live-saving missions that grant migrants the respect that they deserve.

Image: Sea-Eye / Guillaume Duez.