Sea-Watch, a German non-governmental organisation involved in civilian sea rescue, says its vessels rescued 227 people from boats in distress in the central Mediterranean within 48 hours.

The rescues were carried out by the Sea-Watch 5 and Aurora 2 between Sunday afternoon, October 11, and Monday evening, October 12, 2026, according to a statement issued by the organisation on October 13.

The rescued people were found aboard five boats in distress in international waters. During the operations, both crews also encountered unidentified vessels approaching their rescue ships.

In one incident, an individual identifying itself over the radio as the Libyan Navy threatened to prosecute the Sea-Watch 5 crew in Tripoli if they failed to leave a restricted area near an offshore oil platform.

Sea-Watch spokesperson Julia Winkler welcomed the successful rescue operations but criticised Italian authorities for assigning the Sea-Watch 5 a distant port.

“We are incredibly happy that 227 people survived the dangerous journey. The rescue of 227 people in 48 hours shows how urgently rescue ships are needed,” Winkler said.

She said the Italian authorities’ decision to direct the vessel to Civitavecchia, approximately 900 kilometres away, would significantly reduce its ability to carry out further rescue operations.

“Deliberately reducing rescue capacity is a political choice with deadly consequences,” she added.

According to the organisation, the Sea-Watch 5 rescued 151 people in three separate operations.

On Sunday, its crew rescued 28 people from a sinking boat after receiving an alert from an aircraft operated by SOS MEDITERRANEE, another humanitarian organisation involved in sea rescue.

The crew subsequently rescued another 51 people following an alert from Alarm Phone, a hotline that supports people in distress during sea crossings. Before the second operation, an unidentified vessel repeatedly circled the Sea-Watch 5.

On Monday morning, the crew received an alert about another boat in distress in a restricted area near an offshore oil platform.

After a supply vessel associated with the platform authorised the Sea-Watch 5 to enter the area and assist those in distress, an individual identifying itself as the Libyan Navy ordered the rescue ship to leave.

The individual threatened to bring the crew before a court in Tripoli if it failed to comply. The Sea-Watch crew eventually de-escalated the situation and rescued all 72 people aboard the boat.

Meanwhile, the Aurora 2 rescued 76 people in two operations on Monday.

During the first operation, an unidentified grey fibreglass boat carrying four people approached the rescue vessel closely without making contact.

Later that evening, the Aurora 2 assisted another boat in distress by helping to stabilise it until the Italian Coast Guard arrived and took the people aboard.

While Italian authorities assigned the Sea-Watch 5 to Civitavecchia, the Aurora 2 was directed to the island of Lampedusa, where it arrived at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Sea-Watch said the Aurora 2 would not have been able to reach a more distant port because of its limited fuel reserves.

The rescue operations come amid continued concerns over migrant deaths and disappearances along Mediterranean migration routes.

According to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 1,982 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026.