02.07.2020

500 partners say: "Sea rescue concerns us all!"

More and more organisations in Germany are advocating for the rescue of refugees on the Mediterranean Sea:

More than 500 alliance partners now form the action alliance United4Rescue, which was founded in December 2019. In January 2020 United4Rescue facilitated the purchase of the rescue ship "Sea-Watch 4" and made it available to Sea-Watch. At the beginning of August, the alliance ship is scheduled to leave for its first mission. It is currently being rebuilt in the Spanish port city of Burriana for the rescue missions.

"We are very pleased that so many social actors are committed to this important topic, because sea rescue and dying at the European external borders concerns us all," said Michael Schwickart, from the board of the United4Rescue supporting organisation. "The more organisations join United4Rescue, the better we can protect the rescue organisations from defamation and criminalisation - and of course collect donations so that further people can be rescued from distress at sea".

The young action alliance already unites more than 500 large and small organisations, initiatives and associations. Alliance partners include the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), Doctors Without Borders, World Vision Germany, the Academy for Early Music Berlin and the Protestant Church in Germany. In addition to many Protestant and Catholic church congregations, Muslim associations such as the Coordination Council of Muslims in Germany (KRM) are also among the partners. Numerous companies also support the project - including ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry's and Brücken-Apotheke Buxtehude, which has supplied the hospital on board the Alliance ship with medicines.

Founding member Pastor Sandra Bils says: "500 alliance partners in less than a year is a great success. We hope that this Alliance for Humanity and Human Rights will continue to grow in the Mediterranean and that our demands will be even more strongly perceived. Because sea rescue is not a privilege, it is a duty and a human right."