When Helping Becomes a Crime
Helping people in need should be celebrated, not punished. But across Europe, humanitarian aid workers, immigration lawyers, and journalists who stand up for refugees are facing growing threats, prosecutions, and penalties.
From Compassion to Crime sheds light on a concerning trend—the criminalization of humanitarian aid to refugees and human rights advocacy in Europe. Through personal stories of individuals like Tommy Olsen, Ingeborg Beugel, and Pieter Wittenberg, I explore how acts of compassion, conscience, and humanity have led to legal battles, criminal charges, and severe personal costs — mentally, physically, and financially.
Tommy Olsen, a former kindergarten teacher, runs the small NGO Aegean Boat Report from Norway. His 24-hour hotline helps refugees in the Aegean Sea, and he is the only person worldwide documenting every Greek pushback. Now, Greek authorities have accused him of human smuggling and being part of a criminal organization. Ingeborg Beugel, a Dutch journalist for De Groene Amsterdammer in Athens, is being prosecuted for exposing refugee abuses in Greece and for offering shelter to a young Afghan refugee and his dog. Pieter Wittenberg, a retired banker and skipper, is also facing charges of human smuggling for helping refugees reach safety near Lesbos.
And that’s just the beginning: in the Baltic states, aid workers are imprisoned in cages without trial. Geo Barents, the rescue ship operated by Médecins Sans Frontières, has halted its Mediterranean rescue missions due to increasing criminalization and restrictive laws that make saving lives almost impossible. Meanwhile, European governments use populist rhetoric to suppress solidarity and justify harsh migration policies, turning those who save lives into scapegoats.
This documentary goes beyond the consequences to ask deeper questions: Who is behind this criminalisation of aid? Why is this happening? And what does it mean for aid workers, refugees, and our society?
Disclaimer:
This documentary is not yet available for public publication or distribution. I am currently in conversation with several media platforms regarding potential publication and/or broadcast. Therefore, all rights are reserved.
You are welcome to quote from the documentary or write about its content, provided proper credit is given. However, no footage, images, or audio from the documentary may be used, reproduced, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from the creator.
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