Today marks the beginning of the pre-trial Criminal Court hearings against the El Hiblu 3 discussing the preliminary pleas in response to the Bill of Indictment. The first subject in the pre-trial sittings will concern Malta’s jurisdiction for the alleged criminal acts.

The final stage of our preliminary hearings will take place at the end of February and the judge will have the opportunity to make a decision: drop the charges or send us to main trial.

With the agreement on the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), the EU has decided to formalize a status quo where violence, neglect, torture, and leaving people to die are every day practice.

The civil fleet joins the iuventa-crew in filing a criminal complaint to hold accountable those responsible for the destruction of the Iuventa rescue ship under Italian custody.

Following the arrival of a record number of people on the move in Lampedusa, civil society expresses its deep concern at the security response of European states, the crisis of reception, and reaffirms its solidarity with people on the move arriving in Europe. 

Search and rescue ships are urgently needed to prevent further loss of life on the deadliest migration route in the world, yet EU member states – most prominently Italy – are actively obstructing civilian search and rescue efforts.  

On Sunday 16 July, the European Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia. the EU pledges to provide an additional EUR 100 million to Tunisia to strengthen border management, search and rescue operations at sea and ‘anti-trafficking’ measures to reduce the number of arrivals from the country.

Today on World Refugee Day, we jointly demand full and independent investigations into the events, clear consequences for those responsible, an end to the systematic pushback practices at the European borders, and justice for the victims.

After filing a constitutional complaint in Trapani, we launched the #DecriminalizeFacilitation campaign.
Laws regulating the facilitation of movement of people only serve the interests of Fortress Europe. To protect its borders, the EU violates the fundamental rights of people on the move and those who support them. Facilitating freedom of movement is not a crime!

We strongly condemn the ongoing fighting in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, and ask the leaders of the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to sit for dialogue that leads to a civilian-led government.

68 organisations issued a statement to remind once again that Tunisia is neither a safe country of origin nor a safe third country. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a place of safety for people rescued at sea.

Around 40 Italian and European ngos filed a joint complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Crotone Court to have an accurate investigation carried out into the responsibilities of the Italian authorities in relation to the failure to rescue the boat that sank a few hundred metres off the coast.

20 NGOs engaged in or in support of Search and Rescue in the central Mediterranean Sea write an open letter to the new Frontex Executive Director.

A new law decree, signed by the Italian President on 2 January 2023, will reduce rescue capacities at sea and thereby make the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, even more dangerous. Read the PR of SAR ngos.

FOLLOW our campaign! We aim to report on the violation of the right to adequate translation and interpretation in the courts, police stations or other authorities.

Amnesty International demands to stop the proceedings against Iuventa10 without any restrictions.

Sea rescuers under attack: Iuventa crew criminalized by Italian government

“Criminalising Migrant Rights Defenders effectively means endorsing a policy of death.”

Paul Grüninger Award for Iuventa Crew
“Saving lives instead of criminalizing the rescuers”