UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) released a revised Rescue Guide in London, designed to help partners uphold the humanitarian and legal duties to rescue refugees and migrants in distress at sea and bring them to safety, according to a joint press release. The revised edition of Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice in the context of refugee and migrant movements arrives as tragic shipwrecks continue to highlight the urgent need for stronger collective action. The tool aims to prevent further loss of life among people fleeing danger or seeking better prospects. It reflects a shared commitment among the three organizations. The guide builds on earlier joint efforts to protect lives at sea.
The launch coincides with the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, underlining the continued relevance of practical protection action. The partners agreed that the seas must be treated as a humanitarian space, and that the duty to rescue people in distress at sea must be upheld without discrimination. The revised Guide builds on the 2015 edition. It is available in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. It serves as a global resource for shipmasters, ship owners, State authorities, insurance companies, and all actors engaged in maritime rescue operations.
Maritime routes continue to exact a devastating human toll. In 2025, according to data from UNHCR, authorities and partners, the Mediterranean remained one of the world’s deadliest corridors, with 1,953 people reported dead or missing. The South and South-East Asia route recorded 892 people dead or missing, out of more than 6,500 Rohingya refugees who attempted perilous sea crossings that year. This made it the route with the highest mortality rate worldwide for refugee and migrant sea journeys. The Western Africa Atlantic route claimed 424 lives last year.
“Nobody risks their life at sea, or that of their family, unless desperate to find safety and stability in the absence of safer pathways. Yet, these appalling wrecks cannot be accepted as inevitable. They are preventable,” said Elizabeth Tan, Director of UNHCR’s Division of International Protection and Solutions.
She added that the revised Rescue Guide is a practical tool to uphold one of the clearest moral and legal duties at sea. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized that established legal obligations must be translated into concrete action at sea.
The revised Guide provides detailed guidance on applicable legal standards and practical procedures for the prompt rescue and disembarkation of people in distress, including protection from the risk of refoulement. ICS Secretary General Thomas A. Kazakos noted that the global shipping industry is often the first responder when people are in distress at sea. He said ship masters and crews frequently go beyond their commercial duties to save lives. The Guide aims to ensure rescues are conducted safely, predictably, and in line with international law. It reinforces shared responsibility across States and stakeholders to deliver timely disembarkation.
