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Search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean and fundamental rights - June 2025

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights regularly collects data on the operations of NGO vessels involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean. This includes any legal proceedings against them, as well as any difficulties in disembarking migrants in safe ports. This paper provides an overview of criminal investigations and other legal proceedings initiated by European Union (EU) Member States against civil society organisations deploying search and rescue vessels and aircraft in the Mediterranean and/or against individual crew members. The latest update covers the period from 2018 up until the first of June 2025.

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.