About us

WHO ARE WE?

Ahoy – we are the Sea Punks. A bunch of people who volunteer in the civil search & rescue fleet and engage ourselves in helping people who are on the move. We want to help those who do not have the same privileges we often take for granted and who have to leave their homeland to flee from war, poverty, and exploitation.

At Sea Punks, people with different talents come together in solidarity to make a change and won’t continue to watch helplessly as people drown on their way to a better future.

Our team consist foremost of volunteers who cover different fields of expertise: we are craftsmen, therapists, media representatives, social workers, and lawyers among others. Our motto: Just do it!

We live in different parts of Europe, organize ourselves in regular online meetings and have open arms for every person who wants to engage themselves in helping those on the move. Working on the same level is highly valued and important in our collaboration.

OUR WORK

The Central Mediterranean is one of the most deadly escape routes worldwide. For some years now, more and more people have fled from Asian and African regions via Libya to Europe. Since the government structures of Tunisia are becoming more and more unstable, an increased frequency of departures from there is observed as well.

Since September 2023, we have been active in the Central Mediterranean with our ship “Sea Punk I”. There we support people who try to cross over to Europe in non-sea worthy boats.

Our work consists mainly of watching the situation on-site and intervening if necessary in case of an emergency. We supply the people with life vests, food and water, thereby supporting them in reaching Europe safely. Should a boat be in danger of capsizing we can stabilize it and bring people onto our ship to save them from drowning.

As long as the European Union refuses to help refugees at its external borders, we want to make a difference with our ship. Where the so called “Lybian Coast Guard” – militias financed by the EU – push back refugees into torture camps, we want to support people on their way to live in safety.

We want to live in a society … 

  • without racism.
  • that welcomes refugees and that provides support for their fresh start.
  • in which in which everyone is seen as part of our communities, and not as a problem.
  • that does not turn its back on people dying on their escape route because they are being turned away and pushed back.
  • that is politically enlightened and humanistic.

We want a politically enlightened, humanistic society.

Here you can find our articles of association

History

The Brothers Benjamin, Raphael and Gerson spent a long weekend with their father in the fall of 2019. Raphael, who had had enough of his job as a ship mechanic with the water police, was looking for a tugboat to start his own business.
When he showed this ship to his brothers one evening during this vacation, the tide turned: “It looks like a rescue ship to me!” – That was the first reaction. The idea was quickly taken further and the three of them agreed: “We have to at least try.

Sea Punks no longer consists of just three brothers; it has now grown into an association in which people with very different talents have come together in a spirit of solidarity.