Civilian maritime search and rescue in the central Mediterranean.
Sea-Watch e. V. was founded in 2014 to save people fleeing from drowning. The organization grew out of a group of volunteers who could no longer stand by and watch as people were left to die in the Mediterranean as a result of politically motivated decisions. In the more than ten years since its founding, the initiative’s ships have been involved in rescuing over 50,000 people. In addition to rescue operations at sea, Sea-Watch e. V. operates several aerial reconnaissance aircraft.
Due to the lack of safe escape routes and as a result of the European Union’s increasingly repressive border-closure policies, thousands of people die each year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. More than 34,000 people have already lost their lives on this journey (IOM, February 2026)—and the actual number is likely much higher. While government agencies remain inactive, civil society organizations are taking on the vital task of saving people from drowning and raising awareness about the abuses occurring in the central Mediterranean.
Sea-Watch e. V. envisions a world in which borders, racism, injustice, and inequality have been overcome, and all people can live and move about with self-determination, freedom, and safety. For more than ten years, the organization has therefore been committed to rescuing refugees in the central Mediterranean. In addition to its sea rescue vessels, it operates several aerial reconnaissance aircraft to report emergencies to rescue coordination centers and nearby ships, as well as to document human rights violations.
Lemonaid & ChariTea e.V. helps fund the provision of medical supplies, warm clothing, and blankets for those rescued on board. In addition, the funds help ensure the continuation of vital aerial reconnaissance missions—to save more lives and document human rights violations.
Sea-Watch e.V.
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Website: https://sea-watch.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seawatchcrew/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seawatchcrew/
Impressions from the project.
Photos: Clara Marnette and Oliver Kulikowski