Proactiva Open Arms
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Proactiva Open Arms (POA) is a Spanish
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
devoted to
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
(SAR) at sea. Set up in October 2015, it carried out its first rescue action that same month from its base on the Greek island of
Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of , with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, eighth largest ...
. As well as maintaining a permanent base on Lesbos, the NGO carries out its rescue operations from three ships, a sailing yacht ''
Astral Astral may refer to: Concepts of the non-physical * Astral body, a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers * Astral journey (or ''astral trip''), the same as having an ''out-of-body experience'' * Astral plane (AKA astral world), a p ...
'', the '' Golfo Azzurro'' and '' Open Arms''. In 2016, Proactiva won the H.E.R.O. Award for Outstanding Team Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation at the first edition of the UK-based International Maritime Rescue Federation's (IMRF) H.E.R.O. (Honouring Excellence in Rescue Operations) Awards for their participation in saving the lives of over 200 people who had capsized their overloaded vessel off the north shore of Lesbos. The NGO has received several other awards, including the
European Citizen's Prize In 2008, the European Parliament introduced the European Citizen's Prize. It is intended to reward on an annual basis, individuals or groups who have particularly distinguished themselves in strengthening European integration by the expression of ...
awarded by the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
in 2016. Its founder,
Ã’scar Camps Ã’scar Camps Gausachs (Barcelona, 28 November 1963), is a Catalan lifeguard, entrepreneur and activist, known mainly for being the founder and director of the NGO Proactiva Open Arms. He was awarded the Catalan Prize of the Year in 2015. Born in B ...
, was named Catalan of the Year by ''
El Periódico de Catalunya EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things'' * El, fami ...
'' in 2015. In October 2021, film director
Marcel Barrena Marcel Barrena (born 15 October 1981) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and editor. He has directed films such as ''100 Meters'', '' Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea'', and ''The 47''. Filmography In 2011 he won the Catalan ...
released a film, '' Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea'', devoted to the story of Ã’scar Camps and his colleagues which is very close to be a documentary.


Origins

As an NGO, Proactiva developed from Pro-Activa Serveis Aquàtics, a company providing lifeguard and water rescue services, located in
Badalona Badalona (, , , ) is a municipality in Barcelonès county, in Catalonia (Spain). It is located to the north east of Barcelona, on the left bank of the Besòs River and on the Mediterranean Sea, in the Barcelona metropolitan area. By population, ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Due to the
refugee crisis A refugee crisis can refer to difficulties and/or dangerous situations in the reception of large groups of refugees. These could be Forced displacement, forcibly displaced persons, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers or any other huge ...
and the several high-profile deaths at sea, Oscar Camps travelled to
Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of , with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, eighth largest ...
in September 2015, along with three other volunteers.


Lesbos

In September the first volunteers arrived on the Greek island to collaborate in rescue operations. In the beginning, the only materials available to them was basic diving equipment. Their main activities were to guide and assist the migrants to arrive safely on the shore. *28 October 2015: Alongside Greek coastguards, local fishermen and
Frontex The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, commonly known as Frontex (from French ''frontières extérieures'', "external borders"), is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. In coordination with the border and coast gu ...
, the first six lifeguards deployed by Proactiva on Lesbos participated, with two jetskis, in the rescue of 242 survivors of a capsized boat. 60 people lost their lives in the tragedy.


Mediterranean search-and-rescue zone

In July 2017, Proactiva Open Arms was one of the three migrant rescue NGOs operating in the area that signed the
Italian government The government of Italy is that of a democratic republic, established by the Italian constitution in 1948. It consists of Legislature, legislative, Executive (government), executive, and Judiciary, judicial subdivisions, as well as of a head of ...
’s code of conduct for rescue operations. Five other NGOs refused. Apart from the organisations refusing to sign the code,
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
commented that the code of conduct "is the result of a wrong belief that having rescuers attracts migration";Momigliano, Anna
"Aid groups say Italy is forcing them to stop rescuing migrants at sea."
''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
''. Accessed 22 March 2018.
that it "is specifically designed to hinder the work of humanitarian ships" and "has no legal value whatsoever", as it conflicts with international law regarding rescue operations (Gianfranco Schiavone, Italian Association for Legal Studies on Immigration, ASGI); and that application of the code could carry "serious consequences" for rescuers because it could expose them to accusations of aiding
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
and that it was "a trick to make
NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
more vulnerable to future legal actions" (Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, University of Palermo). Previously, experts on migration policy had commented that EU politicians and policy makers have repeatedly declared they are ‘at war’ with the smugglers and that they intend to ‘break the smugglers business model’. "The evidence from our research suggests that smuggling is driven, rather than broken, by EU policy" (Dr Franck Duvell, Centre on Migration Policy and Society at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
), and that "The problem is there’s a huge political agenda around migration, so the more pragmatic of effective alternatives are being overridden by political aspirations of leaders across the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
. They’ve backed themselves into a political corner where it’s very difficult to do anything else" (Professor Heaven Crawley, Coventry University's Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations).Dearden, Lizzie
"Refugee crisis: European leaders blamed for record high deaths in the Mediterranean."
''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. Accessed 22 March 2018.
At the end of 2016
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
stated that "A lack of leadership, vision, and solidarity based on human rights principles are at the core of the EU’s dismal response to refugee and migration challenges". Likewise, a December 2016 report by
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), known in some English-speaking settings as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zo ...
(MSF) analysing the EU's accusations, based on an internal report from the European border agency,
Frontex The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, commonly known as Frontex (from French ''frontières extérieures'', "external borders"), is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. In coordination with the border and coast gu ...
, that the humanitarian organisations running search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean were doing so in collusion with smugglers or were helping them to carry out their deadly trade, concluded that "... the alternative implied by Frontex’s concerns about our rescue operations is to let people drown as a strategy to deter the smugglers". Also responding to Frontex's allegations that aid groups were indirectly supporting criminal traffickers, Mario Giro, Italy's deputy foreign minister, said it showed a fundamental misunderstanding of so-called "push" and "pull" factors, adding that it was "a misleading controversy being used for internal purposes". The view that the rescue NGOs' boats in the Mediterranean acted as a "pull factor" for migrants and traffickers was also challenged in March 2017 by two academics from
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and
UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...
who looked at data on rescues and deaths at sea and concluded that there was no correlation between the number of rescue vessels near
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
and the number of migrants arriving in Italy, stating that "SAR (search and rescue) operations reduce mortality risks (or conversely, the absence of SAR operations leads to more deaths), and has little or no effect on the number of arrivals". On the other hand, researchers also cite testimonies of smugglers bribing police in Greece,
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and other countries of transit and that state officials, the military, law enforcement, and border guards are also involved in smuggling.


2016

4 October: members of the POA aboard the sailing yacht ''Astral'' participated in the rescue of hundreds of people on overloaded wooden vessels and rafts and recovered dozens of corpses –with over two dozen people found dead in one boat alone–.


2017

* 2 January 2017: the POA rescued 112 migrants *24 March 2017: POA lifeguards recovered five corpses from two capsized boats, each of which could hold in overload mode more than 100 people. *14 April 2017: The Italian coastguard service confirmed that 2,074 migrants on 16 rubber dinghies and three small wooden boats had been saved that day in 19 rescue operations by coastguards or NGOs. One person was found dead and ninety-seven people are missing, presumed drowned. *6 August 2017: Members of the POA operating on the ''Golfo Azzurro'' rescued three people in international waters 100 miles from the Libyan coast in an operation co-ordinated by the Italian coastguard. ''
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
'' reported 48 hours later the ship had still not received authorisation to disembark anywhere, after having been refused permission to dock in
Lampedusa Lampedusa ( , , ; ; ) is the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The ''comune'' of Lampedusa e Linosa is part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento which also includes the smaller islands of Linosa and Lamp ...
, the nearest port to where the rescue took place.Binnie, Isla
"Migrant rescue NGO says boat drifting after Italy and Malta refuse access."
euters. Accessed 20 March 2018.
The ship's captain, Adrian Sonneveld, stated that all the instructions concerning the rescue had come from the coast guard control centre in Rome. He added that as the closest port was Lampedusa, "By international maritime law, it is illegal to refuse the ''Golfo Azzurro'' entry to this port". *15 August 2017: the Libyan coastguard service threatened the mariners on board the ''Golfo Azzurro''"Libyans 'threatened' Med migrant aid boat Golfo Azzurro."
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
. Accessed 19 March 2018.
in the search-and-rescue (SAR) zone of international waters.Behrakis, Yannis
"Spanish migrant rescue ship threatened by Libyan coastguard: witness."
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
. Accessed 20 March 2018.
Three charities —
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...
, MSF and Sea Eye— had already suspended their rescue work due to such threats, leaving only the POA,
SOS Méditerranée ''SOS Méditerranée'' is a European, maritime-humanitarian organisation for the rescue of life at sea, currently operating in the Mediterranean sea in international waters north of Libya. The organization chartered the ''Aquarius (NGO ship), Aqu ...
and
Moas Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. Moa or MOA may also refer to: Arts and media * Metal Open Air, a Brazilian heavy metal festival * MOA Museum of Art in Japan * The Moas, New Zealand film awards People * Moa ...
carrying out SAR operations in the area. Commenting on the incident to the Italian state broadcaster,
RAI (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...
, senator
Luigi Manconi Luigi Manconi (born 21 February 1948) is an Italian academic and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a senator from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2018. Early life and career Manconi graduated in Political Sciences at th ...
stated: "Life for NGOs is becoming dangerous. There is a strategy of dissuasion and intimidation, and strong pressure by the Libyans in order for (NGOs) to stop operating at sea". That same day, a speedboat operated by anti-immigration activists Defend Europe approached one of Proactive's
RHIB A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are i ...
s to place stickers on the side. Defend Europe's action came shortly after POA founder Oscar Camps had accused the anti-immigration activists of falsifying data, posting images of false boat positions, and making "threats by radio". He also stated that "our AIS signal has been hacked to show we're in Libyan waters, but we're not". The Italian magazine ''
Famiglia Cristiana ''Famiglia Cristiana'' (meaning ''The Christian family'' in English) is an Italian weekly magazine published in Alba, Italy. The magazine is a Catholic news magazine and has been in circulation since 1931. History and profile ''Famiglia Cristia ...
'' later confirmed Camps' statement after it had verified the AIS signal, that includes the boat's GPS location, with
Marine Traffic Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it provi ...
, the digital hub that collects and publishes navigation data.Miller, Nick
"Aid group accused of helping people smugglers suspect far-right hackers."
''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
''. Accessed 22 March 2018.


2018

*27 January 2018: the POA, in a co-ordinated rescue operation with the
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...
frigate Santa María, rescued 329 people, including 95 women, three of them pregnant, and 37 children, six of whom were newborns. *11 March 2018: the POA rescued three brothers who had fled Libya in a rubber dinghy, one of them a 13-year-old boy suffering from leukemia and with an IV line attached to his body. *12 March 2018: the POA rescued 93 migrants, disembarking in
Pozzallo Pozzallo () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. Pozzallo is now a major summer tourist destination: as of March 2020, two beaches in Pozzallo hold a Blue Flag award, presented by the FEE and given to ...
, Sicily. *16 March 2018: a Libyan coastguard vessel intercepted the ''Open Arms'' in international waters and threatened to " shoot to kill" unless the lifeguards handed over the women and children on board who were among the 218 people rescued earlier that day by the POA in international waters. ''Open Arms'' had attended an alert sent out by the Italian coastguard's Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (IMRCC) to rescue two overloaded boats in difficulty. After the POA had reached the boat carrying the migrants, IMRCC informed them that Libya forces had command over the operation, but "told the Open Arms crew to use their judgment". A Libyan coastguard patrol boat reached the scene approximately 30 minutes after all the migrants had been issued with life jackets and all the women and children had been transferred to the POA's RHIBs."Italy: Migrant Rescue Ship Impounded."
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
. Accessed 19 March 2018.
Two days later,
The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...
, quoting the Italian
news agency A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency ma ...
Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata The Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA; literally "National Associated Press Agency") is the leading news agency in Italy and one of the top ranking in the world. ANSA is a not-for-profit cooperative, whose members and owners are 36 leadin ...
(ANSA), reported that the ship had been impounded by Italian authorities and its captain and two other people were being investigated for
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
after arriving in
Pozzallo Pozzallo () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. Pozzallo is now a major summer tourist destination: as of March 2020, two beaches in Pozzallo hold a Blue Flag award, presented by the FEE and given to ...
,
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
with 216 of the 218 migrants they had rescued in international waters, 73 miles (117 kilometers) from the coast of Libya. Two of the people rescued, a mother and her sick child, had been evacuated to
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
,
The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...

"Spain Migrant Ship Heads to Italy After Threats by Libya."
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Accessed 19 March 2018.
where the ship is based, before Italian authorities permitted the ship to proceed to Sicily "given the precarious conditions of the migrants and worsening weather forecasts". *16 April 2018: The Italian court orders the release of the vessel ''Open Arms'', nevertheless the human trafficking investigations continue.


Reactions to impoundment by Italian authorities

Following the impoundment of the rescue ship on arrival at Pozzallo, major international
humanitarian Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...
NGOs issued statements criticising the action of the Italian authorities. *AI referred to the incident as "reckless disregard for common decency". The statement added that "It is time for European governments to urgently reset their cooperation with Libya on migration. Their callous complicity with smugglers, criminals and torturers must end and the safety and the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants must be prioritized". *HRW, reporting on the incident, stated that "Proactiva acted to save migrants’ lives and then prevented them from being abused in indefinite detention. It is perverse to try to characterize as criminal a refusal to hand victims to Libyan coast guard forces knowing they could face possible torture and rape in Libyan detention centers". The report went on to explain that "international human rights and refugee law prohibits returning anyone to a place where they face a real risk of torture or ill-treatment –the
non-refoulement Non-refoulement () is a fundamental principle of international law anchored in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees that forbids a country from deporting (" refoulement") any person to any country in which their "life or freedom woul ...
principle. Empowering Libyan forces to capture people on the high seas, when it is known that they will return them to cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (CIDT) is treatment of persons which is contrary to human rights or dignity, but is not classified as torture. It is forbidden by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3 of the European Convention ...
in arbitrary detention exposes Italy and other EU states involved to charges of aiding and abetting in serious human rights violations in detention". *MSF criticised the "criminalisation" of the NGOs that rescue migrants at sea, pointing out that "under no circumstances" should the people rescued be returned to Libya, and referring to the impoundment of Proactiva's ship as "the latest in a series of actions against NGOs that carry out life-saving rescue operations". * Vincent Cochetel,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, l ...
's (UNHCR) special envoy for the central Mediterranean, stated that he hoped this incident was not a return of what he called "the campaign we saw in 2017 against NGOs involved in rescue-at-sea". *Referring to the Code of Conduct for NGOs, Senator
Luigi Manconi Luigi Manconi (born 21 February 1948) is an Italian academic and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a senator from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2018. Early life and career Manconi graduated in Political Sciences at th ...
noted that "the code has no legal force. It is a treaty agreement between the Ministry and an individual. I do not find that a violation occurred, and if it did, it certainly would not constitute a crime." He went on to add that, "information to the flag state qualifies more as a commitment, while saving those in danger is an obligation. The hierarchy is very clear."


2020

On 8 and 9 September 2020 the crew of ''Open Arms'' picked up three groups of 77, 116 and 83 migrants. The ship anchored a few hundred meters off
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
harbor with some 278 migrants on board and waited for permission to dock. After a week of waiting, on 17 September 2020, 75 migrants jumped overboard and tried to swim to the shore. The 75 were finally picked up by the Italian coast guard, while 188 remained on the ''Open Arms''. The scene repeated the next day, now with 48 migrants trying to make it ashore. They were also picked up to be later transferred to the
MS GNV Allegra MS ''GNV Allegra'' is a cruiseferry owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC. The ship was built by Wärtsilä Marine's Perno shipyard in Turku, Finland for Jahre Line as MS ''Kronprins Harald''. In 1991 she passed under ownership of Color L ...
for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
quarantine.


2021

In February 2021, the POA rescued over 100 migrants off the coast of Libya.


Vessels

In July 2016, the NGO received the
sailing yacht A sailing yacht (US ship prefixes SY or S/Y), is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. A yacht may be a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applie ...
''
Astral Astral may refer to: Concepts of the non-physical * Astral body, a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers * Astral journey (or ''astral trip''), the same as having an ''out-of-body experience'' * Astral plane (AKA astral world), a p ...
'', donated by Livio Lo Monaco. Designed by
Philip Rhodes Philip Leonard Rhodes (1895–1974) was an Americans, American naval architect known for his diverse yacht designs. Life Rhodes designed a wide variety of vessels from 7' dinghies to 123' motor-sailors, from hydrofoil racers to America's Cup win ...
and built in 1970, the yacht featured in the documentary recorded on board that same month by
Jordi Évole Jordi () is the Catalan form of the ancient Greek name Georgios. Jordi is a popular name in Catalonia and is also given in the Netherlands and in Spanish-, English- and German-speaking countries. Jordi may also refer to: Sant Jordi – patron sai ...
for '' Salvados'', directed by Évoli for
Atresmedia Televisión Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación, S.A., previously Grupo Antena 3, is a Spanish media group, present in the television, radio and filmmaking industries. Significant shareholders include Grupo Planeta and Bertelsmann. On 6 Marc ...
. The box office takings from the documentary, shown at cinemas throughout
Catalunya Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
before being broadcast on TV, were earmarked in their entirety for the NGO. At the end of 2016, ''Astral'' was substituted by '' Golfo Azzurro'', a
fishing trawler A fishing trawler is a commercial fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively dragging or pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. Trawls are fishing nets tha ...
43 metres in length and 8 metres beam. Based in Malta, this vessel covered the NGO's rescue operations in the central Mediterranean region and in international waters off the northern coast of Libya."La oenegé Proactiva Open Arms cambia el 'Astral' por un barco más grande para el rescate de inmigrantes."
'' El Periódico''. Accessed 27 August 2017.
In mid-2017, the POA commissioned '' Open Arms'', an
emergency tow vessel An emergency tow vessel, also called emergency towing vessel, (ETV) is a multi purpose boat used by state authorities to tow disabled vessels on high seas in order to prevent dangers to man and environment. The disabled vessel is either towed to ...
(37 metres in length) which had previously seen service with Spain's maritime safety agency
Salvamento Marítimo The Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima (literally: ''Maritime Safety and Rescue Society''), also known as SASEMAR or Salvamento Marítimo, is a sea search and rescue agency that operates in Spain. It is the body in charge of maritime ...
and was donated to the NGO by the Spanish shipping agency Grupo Ibaizabal. In August 2017 POA vessels were barred by Italy and Malta from disembarking migrants. The POA also came in close contact with the Libyan coastguard who fired warning shots over one of its boats. In June 2020 ''Astral'' returned to POA activity in the Mediterranean.


Awards

* H.E.R.O. Award for Outstanding Team Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation at the first edition of the UK-based International Maritime Rescue Federation’s (IMRF) H.E.R.O. (Honouring Excellence in Rescue Operations) Awards for their participation in saving the lives of over 200 people. * the Pere Casàldiga Award in 2016 *
European Citizen's Prize In 2008, the European Parliament introduced the European Citizen's Prize. It is intended to reward on an annual basis, individuals or groups who have particularly distinguished themselves in strengthening European integration by the expression of ...
*Premio
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
2017 Comité Español Transforma"Premio UNICEF Comité Español Transforma."
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
Comité Español. Accessed 21 March 2018.


See also

*
Hellenic Rescue Team The Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT; or Elliniki Omada Diasosis) is a Greek non-governmental search and rescue organisation. It is run by volunteers and has operated since 1978. Since 1994 it is run as an association. HRC is cooperating with the Greek ...
* Iuventa *
Mediterranea Saving Humans Mediterranea Saving Humans APS is an Italian "civil society platform" that carries out rescue operations in the Mediterranean sea. Though it is similar to the many NGOs operating in the Mediterranean it is not actually an NGO, it brings together ...
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Migrant Offshore Aid Station The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) is an international humanitarian non-governmental organization based in Malta that provides aid and assistance to vulnerable communities worldwide. MOAS main focus is responding quickly and efficiently to eme ...
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No Border network The No Border Network (In the United Kingdom also called "No Borders Network" or "Noborders Network") refers to loose associations of autonomous organisations, groups, and individuals in Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and beyond. ...
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SOS Méditerranée ''SOS Méditerranée'' is a European, maritime-humanitarian organisation for the rescue of life at sea, currently operating in the Mediterranean sea in international waters north of Libya. The organization chartered the ''Aquarius (NGO ship), Aqu ...


References


External links


Web page of the organization
{{European migrant crisis 2015 establishments in Spain Humanitarian aid organizations in Europe Foundations based in Spain Social welfare charities Sea rescue organizations European migrant crisis