Open Arms

“The Mediterranean has become a silent grave — and we refuse to stay silent.”

Open Arms is a humanitarian NGO working to protect the lives of those attempting to cross the dangerous waters of the Mediterranean sea from Africa and the Middle East. Since 2015, they have been on the frontlines, patrolling the sea as much as they have been allowed – in spite of Governments’ lack of support or even interferences- , and rescuing more than 72,000 refugees abandoned at sea and exposing the deadly realities of Europe’s migration policies.

This is a cause that is deeply close to the hearts of Richard and Alejandra Gere, who know by first hand and feel deeply the pain and suffering of refugees, having shared time with them on board of the Open Arms rescue boat stranded at sea.

What We Do
  • Search and Rescue Operations: With their flagship vessel, the Open Arms, and the sailboat Astral, they patrol international waters daily to locate and save people in distress.
  • Human Rights Monitoring: They document and denounce human rights violations at sea, including illegal pushbacks and the abuses faced by migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty.
  • Advocacy and Awareness: Open Arms acts as the eyes and voice for those who are invisible, sharing what others won’t show to demand change.

The Mediterranean is the world’s largest mass grave — nearly 30,000 people have drowned trying to reach Europe since 2014. Many are forced onto overcrowded, unseaworthy boats by human traffickers, with little chance of survival. Open Arms exists to stop this tragedy and uphold the fundamental right to life at sea.

  • Deploying professional teams and volunteers to rescue those in danger.
  • Bringing international attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
  • Fighting for a world where no one is left adrift, and no more lives are lost to indifference.

Since their founding, Open Arms has saved thousands of lives in the Mediterranean, pushing back against deadly policies and offering hope where there was none.

We are the eyes and voice that reveal what no one else dares to show.
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