THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
People Are Fleeing
To Save Their Lives—They Have No Other Choice
Towards the end of 2015 and the first three months of 2016, Lesbos and other Greek islands were the main entry point for over 900,000 refugees who reached Europe at that time.
After the agreement between the European Union and Turkey in March 2016, the refugees who reached the Aegean Islands would be deported to Turkey and, consequently, the entrance point to Europe from there was closed.
Thus, existing routes that are longer and more dangerous in the Central Mediterranean were intensified. This journey is much longer, approximately 300 km to the island of Lampedusa and over 500 km to Sicily. Therefore, the number of deaths in this critical area is consistently growing.
Open Arms protects the lives of those abandoned in international waters fleeing from wars, persecution and poverty. On the mainland, we collaborate with healthcare and frontline research teams to face health emergencies or any other kind of crisis requiring immediate action.
One Ocean
Two Worlds
One world is the epitome of luxury, the other of despair at surviving against all odds, and it’s happening in the same ocean. We need to protect those less fortunate and give them hope of a better life—one they deserve. Join us on our mission to save the lives of others.
Open Arms United with Yachting merges these worlds, creating a collaborative community within yachting that focuses on helping and supporting in various ways. Of course, donations are important and welcome, but our ambition is to facilitate partnerships and solutions within the industry to help in practical and unique ways.
We want the yacht crew to be able to help maintain Open Arms boats when they are in Barcelona and to join training courses run by Open Arms to help prepare for situations when they might encounter migrant vessels.
We want companies and suppliers to donate equipment at cost and yachts to provide refurbished equipment.
We believe that we, an industry fuelled by innovation and passion, can aid the refugee crisis at sea. Our worlds are so close; we all share the same sea and can be more united. This is the merging of two worlds for humanity.
