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A few minutes ago, the Seabird 2 took off for the North African coast. We accompany Tamino Böhm from the NGO Sea-Watch on a reconnaissance flight – the mission: to find migrant boats in distress. Six hours are planned for the flight.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
"With the weather forecast we have now, I would assume that we will find boats in distress. In any case, I can say that the weather last night was such that it is definitely possible for people to flee Libya."
The passage from Tunisia and Libya to Italy is one of the deadliest sea escape routes in the world. Overcrowded boats capsize repeatedly. Civilian sea rescuers try to save people from drowning.
Since 2017, the activists of Sea-Watch have been on the move not only on, but also over the Mediterranean. The twin-engine Seabird 1 and 2 aircraft are stationed on Lampedusa.
The 31-year-old Tamino Böhm from Lübeck has been involved in the flights from the very beginning.
The fact that the planes take off regularly is currently more important than ever for Sea-Watch. Because Italy's government is taking a hard line against the ships of the NGOs.
Curbing illegal migration is one of the key political promises of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been in office since October 2022.
Giorgia Melonia, Italian Prime Minister
"I still consider a naval blockade to be the most reliable solution. The term sounds like war to many, and that's what everyone is parroting at the moment. On the other hand, I would like to emphasize that a naval blockade would be easy to implement in cooperation with the Libyan authorities."
Meloni has also declared war on civilian sea rescue: A decree now prohibits rescue ships from staying at sea for several weeks, as has been customary up to now. The ships must return to an assigned port after each rescue operation – regardless of whether there are other people in distress in their vicinity.
This makes the flights of the Seabirds all the more important – the sooner an overcrowded boat is discovered, the better help can be organized. The Seabird 2 now flies the Libyan coast in a zigzag course for almost five hours. So far, only water has been in sight. But then a message for the rescuers comes in.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
»We have just been informed by the Alarmphone network about an emergency call that the Alarmphone has received. That's why we've now spontaneously rescheduled our pattern.«
Böhm and his teamnow want to work together to find the boat and determine its position. There is not much time left. The fuel is still enough for a good hour of flight.
Currently, more people are drowning in the Mediterranean than at any time since 2017. This monument on the coast of Lampedusa commemorates the dead. Between January and April, more than 30,000 migrants reached Italy.
In Lampedusa, the situation is particularly dramatic: the island's reception centre holds a few hundred people, but according to the authorities, more than 2,000 people are accommodated there. There are repeated media reports of fights and disputes over food in the camp, and women and minors are considered to be particularly at risk.
The Meloni government has not been able to keep its promise to curb migration and is under massive pressure. In mid-April, a six-month state of emergency was declared in order to take emergency measures to relieve the particularly affected regions in the south of the country – including Lampedusa.
One of those who have to stay in camp on the island is Stanich. The Cameroonian says he was rescued by the coast guard in March after a shipwreck.
Stanich, a migrant from Cameroon
"I had these pneumatic tires, two of them. So I stayed afloat for six hours. We saw a helicopter coming. He came with this lifeboat, the Coast Guard. They came, took us, and then we had a chance. They brought us here."
Stanich is waiting for him to move on to the mainland. We will meet him again later.
Back in the Seabird 2.
Böhm discovered the boat. He has a few minutes left, then the plane has to return to Lampedusa. The activist organizes help for the boat's occupants from the air. He radios a merchant ship that is nearby.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
»May Day Relay. Seabird. Fiberglass boat with 30 people spotted in distress at sea. I repeat: fiberglass boat spotted with 30 people in distress at sea. All ships in the area are asked to move to the position. Immediate help is needed."
A back and forth by radio begins, Böhm describes the situation.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
»The high waves endanger people who don't have rescue equipment.«
But the merchant ship refuses to go to the migrant boat.
Merchant ship
»Please note that we will maintain our route.«
Böhm remains stubborn – with success.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
»I understand that you are ignoring a reported distress call, even though you are the nearest ship nearby? Is that right?"
Merchant ship
»Understood. We now turn to the position. «
The merchant ship claims to be able to reach the migrant boat within 30 minutes. Mission accomplished, it seems.
A few hours later. Debriefing at the Sea-Watch headquarters on Lampedusa, employees from Germany are connected. Tamino Böhm and his crew are no longer in the mood to celebrate, because they have learned that the rescue mission has been cancelled. Apparently, the "RCC Malta", the Maltese rescue coordination centre, intervened – and the merchant ship never arrived at the boat with the refugees.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
"I'm tired and, yes, I think annoyed is a good word. The last hour of the flight was a kind of roller coaster of emotions. I'm a bit worried because I can't really see any strategy from RCC (Malta) at the moment if they don't even have merchant ships checked."
Later it turns out that another merchant ship has probably come to the aid of the boat that had spotted the Seabird 2 – but this is not quite certain.
Difficult times for private sea rescuers – and danger to life for all those who dare to make the crossing to Europe. Nevertheless, boats with migrants continue to leave Libya almost every day. Tamino Böhm will continue. He sees it as his duty to help – and calls for a political U-turn.
Tamino Böhm, Sea-Watch
: "It is important to me that we in Europe understand that we all support this policy, this policy of isolation here and that we bear a responsibility for the deaths in the Mediterranean. People don't have to die. There are ferries that sometimes run daily between Tunisia and Italy, and we actively decide to force people to ride on these nutshells and put their lives at risk."
Stanich survived the crossing in a nutshell. Now, after weeks in the camp, he is allowed to leave the island. It is not certain that he will be allowed to stay in Italy permanently – for this small glimmer of hope for a new life in Europe, he – like thousands of others – has risked everything.