1. Current Landscape: Shifting Patterns, Persistent Risks
   Migration Trends (2024–2025)

• Overall Decline, but Central Mediterranean Pressure Irregular crossings into the EU have declined by 25–31% in early 2025. However, the Central Mediterranean route defies the trend, with a notable rise in arrivals.
• Changing Routes
  Crossings from Libya and Tunisia to Italy fell 59% in 2024 due to stricter controls and cooperation efforts. Meanwhile, the Atlantic and Eastern Mediterranean routes are experiencing moderate increases.
• Human Cost Remains High
  Despite fewer crossings, the Mediterranean remains deadly—with thousands of deaths and disappearances annually—creating persistent risks for vesse.

2. Operational Implications for Shipping and Yachting

• Crew Safety
  Encounters with distressed migrant vessels can place crews in difficult legal and humanitarian positions, exposing them to physical risk, legal scrutiny, and reputational impact.
• Regulatory Complexity
  The politicization of migration within the EU has led to shifting legal frameworks and inconsistent enforcement, increasing uncertainty for ship operators.
• Reputational and Financial Risk
  Mishandling migrant encounters can result in legal liability, operational delays, and negative publicity.

3. AXIANTIS Guidance: Risk Management

Despite years of debate and policy shifts, the Mediterranean maritime environment remains unpredictable. AXIANTIS urges all ship operators-commercial and private-to take the following actions:

• Situation al Awareness

Maintain up-to-date intelligence on migration hotspots and evolving routes.

Monitor official advisories and real-time maritime security updates.

• Crew Training

Ensure all crew are briefed on protocols for responding to migrant encounters, including humanitarian obligations and legal requirements.

• Contingency Planning

Review and rehearse emergency response plans, including communication with authorities and coordination with rescue agencies.

• Compliance Audits

Engage AXIANTIS for a tailored risk assessment or audit to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with international and EU maritime regulation.

4. Rescue Preparedness: Best Practices for Maritime Operations

4.1 Comrehensive Rescue Planning

• Update emergency procedures to address mass rescues, including protocols for:
• Safe embarkation via gangways, scrambling nets, or liferafts.
• Segregation of rescued persons by gender/family groups and medical needs.
• Post-rescue security measures (e.g., locking sensitive areas, monitoring routines).
• Integrate IMO’s Large-Scale Rescue Checklist into safety management systems, emphasizing:
• Coordination with Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs) for disembarkation plans.
• Systematic documentation of events and decisions.

4.2 Crew Training and Drills

• Conduct quarterly rescue simulations covering:
• Use of line-throwing equipment, oil dispersal techniques to calm seas, and wind positioning strategies.
• Medical response for dehydration, hypothermia, and infectious diseases.
• Familiarize crews with STCW search-and-rescue modules and ICS/UNHCR guidance on refugee handling.

4.3 Operational Readiness Enhancements

Pre-stage critical Equipment:

• Cargo nets, pilot ladders, and derrick rigs for survivor recovery.

• PPE for crew and basic medical kits for 50+ casualties.

Secure ship infrastructure:

• Pre-lock stores, lifeboats, and hazardous areas before approaching distressed vessels.

• Designate sheltered zones for rescued persons using waterproof partitions.

4.4 Coordination Protocols

• Establish 24/7 communication links with MRCCs and humanitarian agencies for real-time guidance.
• Develop pre-voyage risk assessments for routes through high-risk areas, including:
• Fuel/food buffer calculations for extended operations.
• Legal frameworks for disembarkation jurisdictions

4.5 Post-Rescue Management

• Implement sanitation and crowd control measures:
• Temporary toilet facilities and waste disposal systems.
• Confiscation of hazardous items during initial searches.
• Prepare post-incident support for crews, including trauma counseling and regulatory compliance reviews.

5. Key Measures for Ensuring Safety During Rescue Operations

Careful Planning and Crew Training:

• Conduct regular rescue drills and ensure all crew are familiar with their duties, ship layout, and emergency procedures, following STCW and IMO guidance.
• Prepare ship-specific plans for recovery of persons from the water, including safe embarkation and accommodation.

Secure and Orderly Embarkation

Use a single, controlled entry point for boarding to maintain order and allow for
individual searches of rescued persons and their belongings, confiscating hazardous items.

Assign officers to supervise boarding and ensure lifesaving equipment is ready at the boarding area.

Protecting Crew and Ship Security

• Secure sensitive areas (bridge, crew quarters, control stations) and establish monitoring routines (watches, regular headcounts, patrols).

• Crew should wear high-visibility clothing to assert authority and maintain control, while always prioritizing appropriate PPE.

Safe Accommodation and Management

• Move rescued persons to a predetermined, sheltered area away from the boarding point to prevent overcrowding.

• Segregate groups (families, single men/women, children, sick/injured) where possible, and ensure areas are well-ventilated and sanitary.

Health, Sanitation, and Humanitarian Care

• Provide adequate water, food, and medical attention as soon as possible; request additional supplies from Rescue Coordination Centres (RCC) if needed.

• Maintain sanitary conditions to prevent disease and provide shelter from weather.

Communication and Documentation

• Maintain communication with the RCC and company throughout the operation, and keep detailed records of all actions and decisions in the ship’s logbook.

• Inform charterers and authorities as required.

Additional Security and Privacy Considerations

• Limit rescued persons’ access to ship information, crew numbers, and communication systems (e.g., Wi-Fi).

• Advise crew not to take photos or videos of rescued persons to avoid hostility and protect privacy

Disembarkation and post-rescue

• Work with RCCs and authorities to arrange swift and safe disembarkation at a place of safety.
• Be prepared to request medical evacuation or additional support if serious health issues arise

6. Practical Measures: Segregation and Security of Rescued Persons

• Pre-Plan Accommodation Areas: Designate specific, well-ventilated spaces on board for different groups-such as single men, single women, unaccompanied children, and family units-before any rescue operation takes place.
• Controlled Embarkation: Use a single, supervised entry point for boarding.
  After embarkation, immediately move rescued persons to their assigned areas, keeping family groups together and separating by gender and age where possible.
• Record and Monitor: Count and record the number, gender, age, and family status of all rescued individuals upon boarding. This helps with both segregation and ongoing monitoring.
• Crew Supervision: Assign identifiable crew members (wearing high-visibility clothing) to supervise each group, maintain order, and reassure the rescued persons.
• Flexibility and Safety: Adapt segregation plans as needed based on the number and condition of rescued persons, always prioritizing the safety and dignity of everyone on board.

7. Ship Security: Securing Crew and Survivors

• Secure Sensitive Areas: Lock and restrict access to the bridge, crew accommodations, control stations, and other critical spaces to prevent unauthorized entry by rescued individuals.

• Citadel/Safe Muster Point: Identify a secure area (citadel) for crew retreat in case of a severe security threat, equipped with communication, supplies, and emergency protocols.

• Segregate and Supervise: Arrange rescued persons in designated, sheltered areas, segregated by gender, family group, and other vulnerabilities, with assigned crew supervision to maintain order and safety.

• Monitor and Patrol: Establish regular monitoring routines and patrols, using CCTV and enhanced lookouts where possible, to detect and respond quickly to any security concerns.

• Crew Training and Briefing: Train crew in emergency response, crowd management, and humanitarian care, and ensure they are briefed and equipped before any rescue operation.

• Emergency Preparedness: Maintain clear evacuation routes, sufficient lifejackets and lifeboats for all on board, and conduct regular drills to ensure readiness for both rescue and evacuation scenarios.

• Health and Sanitation: Provide rescued persons with water, food, medical care, and sanitary facilities, while monitoring for health risks to both crew and survivors.

• Communication and Documentation: Keep open lines with Rescue Coordination Centres, document all actions and decisions, and coordinate closely for safe and swift disembarkation of rescued persons.

• Citadel/Safe Muster Point: Identify a secure area (citadel) for crew retreat in case of a severe security threat, equipped with communication, supplies, and emergency protocols.

AXIANTIS Call to Action
Be Prepared. Not Surprised. With crossings forecasted to return to 2023 levels, shipping operators must act now.Preparation today ensures safety and compliance tomorrow.
Contact AXIANTIS for audits, training, or operational support before peak summer traffic!
Stay vigilant. Stay compliant. Stay ahe