Refugee Rescue
Refugee Rescue is a charitable Non-Governmental Organisation based in Northern Ireland[1] which operates the rescue vessel Mo Chara from the North Shore of Lesvos, Greece, covering parts of the Aegean Sea.[2][3] It also fulfills a coastguard role along that coast.[4][5][6]
History[edit]
Refugee Rescue was founded in 2015,[4] by Joby Fox and Jude Bennett; the charity[7] moved rapidly on from an initial coastguard-like role to purchasing and operating an inshore rescue boat.[8][9] Refugee Rescue's rescuer and activist Mary Finn was featured in the documentary "Bigger than us", drawing attention to the problems of people-trafficking and refugees.[10][11]
Rescue vessel[edit]
Refugee Rescue operates the Mo Chara (meaning 'my friend' in Irish), a 7.4 m ex-RNLI Atlantic 75 Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB).[12] The boat operations began in early 2016, and were paused in August 2020.[2] As of April 2021, Mo Chara operates in conjunction with the German search and rescue NGO Sea-Eye and their rescue ship Sea-Eye 4.[13] In early 2023, the NGO announced a formal partnership with Sea-Eye; at this date Refugee Rescue had rescued over 16,000 people since 2015.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ "HOME> ORGANISATIONS> REFUGEE RESCUE". www.communityni.org. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ a b "December 2020 update - NGO ships involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean and legal proceedings against them". European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, fra.europa.eu. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Refugee Rescue 'Mo Chara'". www.refugeeobservatory.com. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Refugee Rescue". SAROBMED, sarobmed.org. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Meet the North Devon heroes who save refugees every night". www.northdevongazette.co.uk. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "The British volunteers risking their lives to help refugees across the Mediterranean- 'You can't just close your eyes': The British volunteers risking their lives to help refugees cross the Med safely". www.independent.co.uk. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
The story of how 30 volunteers and one ex-RNLI lifeboat have saved more than 2,500 people on the shores of Lesbos
- ^ "Help us save lives today- Donate..." www.refugeerescue.org. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
Registered With the Northern Ireland Charity Commission (NIC): 105156
- ^ "Our History- How it began..." www.refugeerescue.org. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "They could be my neighbours: a day in life of a rescue boat crew". helprefugees.org. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Presentation- First : Mary's presentation" (PDF). jean-rostand-chantilly.ac-amiens.fr. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Mary Finn". biggerthanus.film. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Our work/ what we do]". www.refugeerescue.org. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "The SEA-EYE 4 - Operational Period: Starting 2021". sea-eye.org. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Irish charity Refugee Rescue prepares for mission in the Mediterranean". IrishCentral.com. 24 January 2023.