Seán Binder Faces Trial – And Why His Case Matters for All of Europe
Seán Binder Faces Trial – And Why His Case Matters for All of Europe
On 4 December 2025, Seán Binder will stand trial before the Mytilene Court of Appeals in Lesvos, Greece, for doing something that should never be a crime: helping people in distress at sea. As a trained volunteer rescuer with the Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI), Seán worked to prevent drownings and offer lifesaving assistance within European waters.
He returns to court facing a series of extremely serious charges – including membership in a criminal organisation, money laundering, and smuggling, alongside 23 other defendants. If convicted, Seán could face up to 25 years in prison.
His case is one of the largest and most symbolic examples of the criminalisation of solidarity in Europe today. It sends a chilling message: that offering humanitarian help can be met not with gratitude, but prosecution.
A Wider Pattern: Why Seán’s Case Is Not an Isolated One
Seán’s situation reflects a broader and increasingly systematic trend across Europe. Volunteers, human rights defenders, rescue crews, journalists, ordinary citizens, even mayors and family members have been targeted simply for helping migrants and refugees.
MPG has been documenting this pattern for years – and the numbers are stark.
- In 2018, MPG helped launch the European Citizens’ Initiative “We Are a Welcoming Europe – Let Us Help,” uniting over 200 organisations and thousands of citizens in calling for an end to the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance.
- Through the ReSOMA project, MPG collected extensive data showing a sharp escalation in prosecutions between 2015 and 2019.
By December 2019, at least 171 individuals had been criminalised in 13 European countries – including Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.
And this increase happened despite irregular arrivals to the EU dropping by nearly 90% during the same period.
This is not about managing migration. It is about punishing solidarity.
What MPG Calls For
MPG stands firmly with Seán, his co-defendants, and all humanitarian actors who choose compassion over fear.
We call for:
- An immediate end to the criminalisation of solidarity
Saving lives is not – and must never become – a crime.
- Dropping the charges and freeing Seán and the other humanitarians
Their prosecution contradicts European and international human rights principles.
- A revision of the EU Facilitation Directive
MPG urges EU institutions to make the humanitarian exemption clause mandatory, ensuring Member States cannot misuse “smuggling” legislation to target volunteers and NGOs.
About the Migration Policy Group (MPG)
MPG is an independent think-and-do-tank based in Brussels. MPG’s purpose is rooted in its ability to inspire networks to provide evidence-based projects, research and campaigns in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination.