Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI)

Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) is an NGO that conducted migrant rescue operations on the Greek island of Lesbos between 2015 and 2018. The organization and its volunteers have recently been in the news due to the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle in Greece. Twenty-four former ERCI volunteers, including Syrian swimmer Sarah Mardini, were arrested seven years ago and faced charges of human trafficking and other offenses, potentially carrying sentences of up to 20 years. These charges stemmed from their work rescuing asylum-seekers at risk of drowning during a period when hundreds of thousands of migrants were crossing the Aegean Sea. The volunteers have now been acquitted of all charges. This case is significant as it highlights the challenges and potential criminalization faced by humanitarian aid workers involved in migrant rescue efforts, and raises questions about the treatment of those assisting vulnerable populations at sea.