Jugend Rettet

Jugend Rettet is a non-governmental organization (NGO) from Berlin. Its goal is to save drowning persons at the Mediterranean Sea. From 2016 to 2017, the organization operated the Dutch-flagged rescue ship Iuventa, which according to the organization rescued around 23,000 people. The ship was seized by Italian authorities in August 2017. The ensuing criminal proceedings against former crew members on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration ended in April 2024 with the case being dismissed, and the ship was returned in July 2024. The organization is divided into three divisions. First there is the Iuventa crew, with the straplines "Solidarity at Sea" and "Solidarity is not a Crime". The name Iuventa originates from the Roman god of youth and courage. Second, there is a department to encourage political awareness of certain issues. Third, there is a discussion platform for the right of asylum. During a session of the Italian parliament on 10 May 2017, a prosecutor accused Jugend Rettet of working together with migrant smugglers. Jugend Rettet denied the allegations. Frontex criticized the behaviour of search-and-rescue NGOs operating near Libyan waters, alleging a lack of cooperation with official authorities. Researchers at Goldsmiths, University of London disputed Frontex's characterisation of NGO rescue vessels as a "pull factor," concluding that the NGO fleet had responded to changes in smuggling practices triggered by anti-smuggling operations, and that no evidence of criminal collaboration with smugglers had been found. In August 2017, Jugend Rettet, like other organisations such as Sea-Watch or Médecins Sans Frontières, refused to sign the code of conduct for NGOs set up by the Italian government, stating that it was in contradiction with international maritime law.