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After Italy ended its Mare Nostrum rescue programme in the central Mediterranean in 2014, civil-society organisations started deploying SAR vessels and reconnaissance aircraft, rescuing a significant number of migrants and asylum seekers in distress at sea.
In August 2014, the organisation Migrant Offshore Aid Station deployed the vessel Phoenix. Since then, several civil-society organisations have deployed a total of 43 rescue vessels and four reconnaissance aircraft, mainly in the central Mediterranean. The figure below provides an overview of deployed assets. These assets seek to reduce fatalities and bring rescued people to safety in the EU.
As of 1 June 2025, 17 vessels and three aircraft were still deployed; the rest had discontinued operations. One of the deployed vessels was under maintenance (Mare Jonio).
Figure – NGO assets involved in SAR operations in the Mediterranean Sea between August 2014 and 1 June 2025 and whether they are operational and/or facing legal proceedings
The figure shows that 17 vessels and three aircraft are operational, 27 assets have been stopped before 1 June 2025 and one vessel is under maintenance.
Source: FRA (2025) based on public sources and civil-society input.