Sea rescue in the Mediterranean

Migration Department

Project head: Dr. Ramona Rischke ,  Dr. Zeynep Yanaşmayan

After two major shipwrecks off the coast of Lampedusa in autumn 2013, the rescue of migrants in the central Mediterranean has become a highly controversial topic. Eight years later, heated debates about sea rescue are still highly topical. At the centre of the debate is the question of whether and to what extent search and rescue (SAR) operations have a so-called "pull effect" on migration. Critics of SAR argue that the presence of rescue ships would increase the number of crossings and thus the number of fatalities in the Mediterranean. So far, however, this relationship has not been empirically proven and has been little studied. The present project aims to contribute to new knowledge on the potential role of SAR activities for migration movements. Available data on SAR activities, border crossings, political and security contexts in countries of origin and transit, as well as data that serve as predictors of migration movements in the Mediterranean will be used for quantitative analyses. Perspectives from relevant actor groups will also be collected.

Funding: Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Institutional funding)

Cooperation partner:

The project is a cooperation project with the IMIS and is being carried out in particular with the participation of Dr Franck Düvell (IMIS, University of Osnabrück). The project team is in exchange with the IOM about this.