Alexander Throm, the internal political spokesman for the Union faction (CDU), criticized the migrant rescue organization Sea-Watch concerning videos released by the border control agency Frontex on May 11. Speaking to the German television channel “Welt” on Thursday, Throm argued that he could not identify a genuine distress situation in the footage showing the reception of refugees off the Libyan coast.
According to Throm, there was no initial sign of a vessel in peril. He pointed out that the video appeared to show a perfectly seaworthy and functional boat equipped with two outboard motors. Furthermore, based on the information available to him, the incident took place seven nautical miles off the Libyan coast, suggesting it was not particularly far from shore.
The CDU politician questioned whether a genuine state of emergency existed that would justify Sea-Watch’s operation. He suggested that this needs to be clearly scrutinized, adding that it was already “strange how cooperative the collaboration is.” He recalled a long-standing issue: that such rescue ships often facilitate the work of human smugglers.
Throm asserted that even if, as Sea-Watch claims, two people were unconscious on board, this context did not justify the subsequent transfer of approximately 90 other people. “It was calm water, it was a seaworthy boat, and clearly capable of steering,” he stated. “I did not perceive any kind of emergency. Even if two people were unconscious, that speaks to providing aid for those two people, not that one must take on 90 people and transport them to Europe.”
He claimed further that this activity provided a certain ease to the smugglers’ operation. Throm explained, “If the smugglers know that such rescue ships patrol in calm water and good weather to take on people-all on one boat-then that supports a business model for the smugglers, in this case, by the so-called organization or association Sea-Watch operating the ship.”
Despite his critique, the CDU politician demanded further clarification from Frontex regarding the work of these rescue organizations, not just in relation to this specific video. He also expects the Italian public prosecutor’s office to thoroughly investigate the case. Should there be evidence of “collusive cooperation in the organization of illegal immigration,” Throm maintained that this must be prosecuted accordingly.
Sea-Watch reported that the “Sea-Watch 5” rescued about 90 people in distress around 10 AM on May 11. The organization claimed they immediately informed the relevant authorities before launching the rescue. Upon reaching the boat, Sea-Watch stated they found a two-deck vessel carrying 90 people. Their statement detailed that two were unconscious, several were severely weakened, and some were confined below deck. They insisted that, according to international law, it was clearly a boat in distress due to a lack of visible rescue or navigation equipment. Sea-Watch also reported confronting masked men who threatened to throw people into the water; every action taken by the Sea-Watch crew was intended to de-escalate the situation and save lives.
Sea-Watch had previously addressed the Frontex video on July 16, dismissing it as a “right-wing hate campaign.” The organization asserted that the material held by Italian authorities, which remains under judicial secrecy during the inquiry, was “suggestively edited.” However, they maintained that nothing about the rescue attempt itself had been withheld; Sea-Watch had detailed every aspect of the operation to the authorities.
Anna Giannessi, a spokesperson for Sea-Watch, responded to these criticisms, saying: “We always work transparently and have provided the authorities with all the details of this rescue months ago. This smear campaign against civil society will not deter us. We remain determined to save lives and fight for freedom of movement.”
