The aid organization SOS Méditerranée is ending its mission in the Mediterranean with the refugee rescue ship "Aquarius".
The decision was preceded by "a series of targeted political attacks on the life-saving work of the relief organization," the organization said. However, they want to take off with another ship "as soon as possible" to new missions to save migrants.
The "Aquarius" has been in operation since February 2016 and has rescued about 30,000 migrants in the sea. The blockade of the ship in the summer with hundreds of migrants on board worldwide received attention. At that time, the interior minister of the interior, Matteo Salvini, did not let the boat dock in Italy. It had to dodge to Spain. (Read here an interview with a helper on the "Aquarius".)
Operated by MSF and SOS Méditerranée, the Aquarius is currently anchored in Marseille, France. Twice the flag was deprived of the ship. Recently, Italian authorities accused the NGO of illegally disposing of trash in Italy and threatened to confiscate the ship. The populist government in Italy has made the ports of the country for rescuers largely sealed.
"We have reached the culmination of the criminalization of humanitarian aid at sea and the fact that we are now forced to stop operating Aquarius while European member states fail to live up to their responsibility to rescue people in the Mediterranean is an indictment of Europe" said Verena Papke, Managing Director of SOS Méditerranée Germany.
Now possibilities for a new ship should be explored. It is "dependent on the initiative of courageous shipping companies, who are ready to set a sign of solidarity".