A statue in Malta wearing a life jacked with the number "14,500" written on the front. This image was posted by the aid organization Jugend Rettet on Facebook, to protest against Europe's migration policy and for the return of their ship.
"This morning statues in Malta have life vests," Jugend Rettet (German for youth rescues) posted on Facebook on September 12. "14,500 is the number of deaths that has been reached between 2014 and today, according to UNHCR data." They said that their ship Iuventa had saved "more than 14.000 people", adding "We want it back!" The organization called for people join their protest by putting life vests on statues across Europe, and has since shared dozens of photos showing statues in life vests.
Jugend Rettet is one of several organizations that aim to help migrants on the Mediterranean Route by rescuing people from ships in distress. Italian authorities seized their only ship, the Iuventa, in early August, in what they described as a "preventive measure." State prosecutors have accused Jugend Rettet of assisting human smugglers. They believe Jugend Rettet took in migrants on ships that were not in acute distress. The organization, however, has vehemently denied these claims.