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  • Border police patrols     
    While the exact location of patrols is of course constantly changing, this line indicates the approximate boundary routinely patrolled by border guards’ naval assets. In the open sea, it usually correspond to the outer extent of the contiguous zone, the area in which “State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws” (UNCLOS, art. 33). Data source: interviews with border police officials.
  • Coastal radars     
    Approximate radar beam range covered by coastal radars operating in the frame of national marine traffic monitoring systems. The actual beam depends from several different parameters (including the type of object to be detected). Data source: Finmeccanica.
  • Exclusive Economic Zone     
    Maritime area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, the seabed and its subsoil and the superjacent waters. Its breadth is 200 nautical miles from the straight baselines from which the territorial sea is measured (UNCLOS, Arts. 55, 56 and 57). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
  • Frontex operations     
    Frontex has, in the past few years, carried out several sea operations at the maritime borders of the EU. The blue shapes indicate the approximate extend of these operations. Data source: Migreurop Altas.
  • Mobile phone coverage     
    Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network coverage. Data source: Collins Mobile Coverage.
  • Oil and gas platforms     
    Oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. Data source:
  • Search and Rescue Zone     
    An area of defined dimensions within which a given state is has the responsibility to co-ordinate Search and Rescue operations, i.e. the search for, and provision of aid to, persons, ships or other craft which are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger. Data source: IMO availability of search and rescue (SAR) services - SAR.8/Circ.3, 17 June 2011.
  • Territorial Waters     
    A belt of sea (usually extending up to 12 nautical miles) upon which the sovereignty of a coastal State extends (UNCLOS, Art. 2). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
 
Histogram

  • About

    Watch the Mediterranean Sea is an online mapping platform to monitor the deaths and violations of migrants' rights at the maritime borders of the EU

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  • News

    Date 2015-10-12

    1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY STATEMENT

    "While we are confronted with a lot of despair, we have also been inspired uncountable times by the willingness to overcome the sea and to move on to desired places throughout Europe."
    Date 2015-08-05

    Alarm Phone Press Release, 5th of August 2015

    Distress at sea and endangered lives due to coastguard actions? Evidence shows attacks on migrant boats in the Aegean Sea where engines were removed and boats punctured by coastguards In the past two weeks, the Alarm Phone was alerted by refugees to four different...
    Date 2015-05-21

    Ferries not Frontex! 10 points to really end the deaths of migrants at sea

    On April 20, the Joint Foreign and Home Affairs Council of the EU released a ten-­‐point action plan outlining their response to the recent deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. We are activists from Watch The Med Alarm Phone who have been involved...
    Date 2015-05-04

    Call for Donations for the Watch The Med Alarm Phone

    An emergency hotline offers support to refugees and migrants in distress at sea for more than six months now. The project documents SOS calls and seeks to immediately build up pressure on responsible authorities to conduct rescue operations, wherever possible.
    Date 2015-04-19

    Alarm Phone Press Release: The EU kills Refugees, Ferries not Frontex!

    Last night at least 650 people drowned about 73 nautical miles north of the Libyan coast when seeking to reach Italy. They were on board of a 30 meter long boat that capsized when the container vessel King Jacob approached them for assistance. There were only...

  • Reports

    Date 2016-10-10 / Category: In Distress /

    9/10: 114 persons rescued to Milos

    Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 9th of October 2016 Case name: 2016_10_9-AEG268 Situation: 114 persons rescued to Milos Status of WTM Investigation:... more>
    Date 2016-10-07 / Category: In Distress /

    06/10: Travellers in distress rescued to Samos, Greece

    Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 6th of October 2016 Case name: 2016_10_6-AEG267 Situation: Boat in distress rescued to Samos Status of WTM Investigation:... more>
    Date 2016-09-27 / Category: In Distress /

    26/09: Alarm Phone informed about 9 travellers in Western Med, intercepted by Moroccan Navy

    Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 26th of September 2016 Case name: 2016_09_26-WM122 Situation: Alarm Phone informed about 9 travellers in Western... more>
    Date 2016-09-23 / Category: In Distress /

    22/09: Alarm Phone alerted to 19 travellers in distress in Western Med, rescued to Spain

    Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 22nd of September 2016 Case name: 2016_09_22-WM121 Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 19 travellers in distress... more>

  • Investigations

    Date 2013-10-11 / Category: In Distress /

    Over 200 die after shooting by Libyan vessel and delay in rescue

    On the 11 October 2013, a boat carrying over 400 people sank after being shot by a Libyan vessel. Despite the rescue operation led by Maltese and Italian assets that saved 212 people, it is believed that more than 200 people have died. In the weeks that have followed,... more>
    Date 2011-04-10 / Category: In Distress /

    Left-to-die boat

    The migrants’ vessel left the Port of Tripoli between 00:00 and 02:00 GMT on 27 March 2011 with 72 migrants on board. The vessel was sighted by a French aircraft which transmitted its coordinates to Rome MRCC. After proceeding in the direction of Lampedusa... more>