Dear friends of Sea-Eye,

in the pitch black of Tuesday night, our crew rescued 51 people from a rubber boat. Tightly packed were 38 men, 12 women and a baby. 12 people were unaccompanied minors.

“We treated some burns caused by the corrosive mixture of salt water and petrol, and many head and body aches. The people had spent two days on the small boat, unable to move, and were very exhausted,” said Barbara Held, a doctor of our partner German Doctors, from on board.

We are therefore shocked by Italy's order that the SEA-EYE 4 must travel another 509 nautical miles to Brindisi with the exhausted people on board. It would have been much quicker to reach a port in Sicily.

Not only in Italy, but also in Germany, right-wing politicians are attacking civilian sea rescue: while our crew is making the long journey to bring the rescued people to safety, the extreme right-wing party AfD is trying to make sea rescue more difficult. Today, for the first time, the Bundestag debated an AfD motion that also dealt with financial support for sea rescue. What a farce! Instead, it should be discussed how other EU member states can be encouraged to support sea rescue as well – instead of giving in to the AfD's populist fake debates!

That is why, after this rescue we are sending another clear signal against right-wing extremist politics: Once the people on board are finally safe, we want to set sail again as soon as possible to save even more people from drowning – whether in daylight or in the dark of night.

Yours

Gorden Isler
- Chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

PS: Your donation helps people in acute danger of their lives!