On Saturday, 22 September, the Aquarius team was shocked to learn that official communication from the Panamanian authorities indicated that the Italian government had urged them to take "immediate action" against Aquarius. The message from the maritime authorities of Panama explained then that "unfortunately, it is necessary that it [the Aquarius] be excluded from our register, because to maintain this flag would imply serious political difficulties for the Panamanian government and for the Panamanian fleet working in European ports ". This comes despite the fact that the Aquarius meets all applicable maritime standards and strictly adheres to the technical specifications required by the Panama authorities.

As citizens, we join the crew of Aquarius, the last civilian rescue vessel in the central Mediterranean Sea, to call on all European states to respect the obligation to rescue at sea. take precedence over any political consideration, in accordance with international law.
We urge all states in Europe to:
• Take all necessary measures to allow Aquarius to leave as soon as possible to carry out its life-saving mission,
• Respect the obligation to provide assistance to people in distress at sea,
• Assume their state responsibilities by establishing a real rescue model in the Mediterranean.


SOS Méditerranée has launched several spontaneous initiatives, intended to mobilize public opinion, and of which we stand in solidarity. We invite you to support and share around you a petition launched to defend the rescue at sea:
https://you.wemove.eu/campaigns/sauvons-l-aquarius-et-le-sauvetage-en-mer