Video 1

Welcome to the Médecins Sans Frontières‘ Search and Rescue ship: the Geo Barents.

Since 2014, civilian rescue ships are filling the void that European States have deliberately left after discontinuing their state-led search and rescue operations. NGOs have played an essential role in filling this gap and preventing more lives being lost at sea, while consistently upholding applicable international and maritime laws.

Until today, EU member states continue to obstruct civilian efforts to rescue people in distress at the Mediterranean Sea. We call on the EU to adopt policies that protect the lives, health and safety of all people. The EU Member States must comply with existing international and maritime laws as well as guarantee the operational space for civil search and rescue actors.

The M/V Geo Barents is sailing under the Norwegian flag. The ship’s overall length is 76.95 metres long. It has two decks for survivors; one for men and one for women and children. There is a clinic, a midwifery room and an observation room for all the medical activities. The ship has two fast rescue boats to launch during rescue activities, and a helideck for medical evacuation.

On 23 February 2023, the Geo Barents was the first Search and Rescue NGO vessel to be detained for 20 days, following the release of Law 15/2023 in Italy.

In 2023, Italy introduced the new Law 15/2023 which restricts search and rescue vessels from carrying out more than one rescue operation at a time, as the legislation states that search and rescue vessels should navigate towards the assigned place of safety after a rescue operation, without delay; this implies that vessels should not be providing assistance to other boats in distress.