The Dresden-based aid organization "Mission Lifeline", which organizes sea rescues of refugees on the high seas, draws a sober balance on the occasion of its tenth anniversary: "The aid has become more professional, but the political situation has become much more hostile."
So the ten-year anniversary of the association is no reason to celebrate, "but proof of the total failure of European politics," says CEO Nolte Bauer. The situation of refugees has deteriorated dramatically over the years. Fundamental human rights are being called into question and those providing help are being criminalized, the association's chairman went on to criticize.
The association and its former captain Claus-Peter Reisch have already had to deal with legal disputes for their work in the past. For example, Reisch was fined €10,000 by a court in Malta because his boat was allegedly not registered correctly. However, he was acquitted in an appeal in 2020.
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