Our crew is also outraged by the planned amendment to the Residence Act by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, which opens the gates to the prosecution of civil search and rescue workers in Germany.  These people give their all and sometimes risk their own lives to save the lives of others. And now they are to be penalised for it?

Help us to prevent this and sign our petition! Because fleeing and search and rescue at sea are not a crime. 

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Together for more humanity at sea!

In addition to an alliance of over 50 NGOs, lawyers are also criticising the actions of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior. In response to the growing criticism, the Ministry took a stand by exempting civil search and rescue from criminal liability in the explanatory memorandum to the law. However, the justification has no direct legal effect. The amendment to the law itself will be retained. This means that legal certainty for search and rescue workers is still at risk.

This attempt at appeasement by the Federal Ministry of the Interior is nothing but a smokescreen, and we should not be fooled by it! Even if search and rescue is not meant, as the Federal Ministry of the Interior claims, the proposal presented creates a legal basis for investigating civil search and rescue at sea, humanitarian aid workers, and human rights defenders as well as refugees themselves. They could face up to 10 years in prison!