NGO Cases
Dozens of cases. One pattern: block a ship, charge the crew, let the case collapse — years later.
But criminal charges were never the only — or even the primary — weapon. Alongside (and increasingly instead of) prosecution, a parallel arsenal of administrative measures developed: tools that don't require a courtroom, don't need to hold up under judicial scrutiny, and can immobilise a rescue ship indefinitely without ever convicting anyone.
The pattern: Seize the ship under criminal investigation. Detain it under administrative decree. Refuse it entry, then refuse it exit. Inspect it until it cannot sail. And if all else fails — take away its flag. None of these require a conviction. Most don't even require a hearing. The ship doesn't need to be found guilty of anything. It just needs to not be ther
The pattern repeats — not just in the cases against rescue ships, but across the EU more broadly. PICUM has documented this systematically, year after year, across every form solidarity can take.
Sources
Resilience and Resistance: The Criminalisation of Solidarity Across Europe (PICUM, 2022)
Over 100 People Criminalised for Helping Migrants in the EU in 2022 (PICUM)
Criminalisation of Solidarity with Migrants in the EU — 2025 Report (PICUM/ISMU)
2019 Update: NGO Ships Involved in Search and Rescue and Criminal Investigations (FRA)