Germany scraps funding for sea rescues of migrants

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"Germany Ends Funding for Migrant Sea Rescue Operations"

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CNN 7.6

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Original Article Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/26/europe/germany-migrants-sea-rescue-funding-intl-latam

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Raw Article Publish Date: 26 June 2025

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TruthLens AI Summary

Germany has announced a significant shift in its approach to migrant rescues in the Mediterranean, deciding to cut financial support for charities that conduct sea rescues. The German government plans to redirect these resources towards addressing the underlying conditions in the migrants' home countries that prompt them to flee, particularly focusing on humanitarian crises such as the situation in Sudan. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul emphasized that while Germany remains committed to humanitarian efforts, it is not the responsibility of the foreign office to fund sea rescue operations. This decision follows a trend in which the country has seen increasing political pressure to curb irregular migration, especially after the conservative coalition led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz won the national election with a promise to tackle what many citizens perceive as an uncontrolled influx of migrants.

The move to end funding for sea rescues has raised concerns among humanitarian organizations, as many rely on the subsidies provided by the German government. For instance, Sea-Eye, a prominent rescue charity, noted that they received approximately 10% of their total income from German government support, which has been instrumental in saving lives at sea. Critics, including the opposition Greens, argue that this decision will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and lead to more suffering among vulnerable migrants. They warn that the reduction in support for rescue missions could result in fewer lives being saved, as organizations may be forced to limit their operations due to lack of funds. While the German government suggests that such rescues may inadvertently encourage more dangerous crossings, experts continue to stress that the primary drivers of migration stem from dire conditions in the migrants' countries of origin, rather than rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

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Source URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/26/europe/germany-migrants-sea-rescue-funding-intl-latam

Germany is cutting financial support for charities that rescue migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean, saying it will redirect resources to addressing conditions in source countries that spur people to leave.

For decades, migrants driven by war and poverty have made perilous crossings to reach Europe’s southern borders, with thousands estimated to die every year in their bid to reach a continent grown increasingly hostile to migration.

“Germany is committed to being humane and will help where people suffer but I don’t think it’s the foreign office’s job to finance this kind of sea rescue,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told a news conference.

“We need to be active where the need is greatest,” he added, mentioning the humanitarian emergency in war-shattered Sudan.

Under the previous left-leaning government, Germany began paying around 2 million euros ($2.34 million) annually to non-governmental organizations carrying out rescues of migrant-laden boats in trouble at sea.

For them, it has been a key source of funds: Germany’s Sea-Eye, which said rescue charities have saved 175,000 lives since 2015, received around 10% of its total income of around 3.2 million euros from the German government.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives won February’s national election after a campaign promising to curb irregular migration, which some voters in Europe’s largest economy see as being out of control.

Even though the overall numbers have been falling for several years, many Germans blame migration-related fears for the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the second largest party in parliament.

Many experts say that migration levels are mainly driven by economic and humanitarian emergencies in the source countries, with the official cold shoulder in destination countries having had little impact in deterring migrants.

Despite this, German officials suggest that sea rescues only incentivize people to risk the sometimes deadly crossings.

“The (government) support made possible extra missions and very concretely saved lives,” said Gorden Isler, Sea-Eye’s chairperson. “We might now have to stay in harbor despite emergencies.”

The opposition Greens, who controlled the foreign office when the subsidies were introduced, criticized the move.

“This will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and deepen human suffering,” said joint floor leader Britta Hasselmann.

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Source: CNN