Charities Ireland Disaster Relief Refugee Rescue
Refugee Rescue logo

Refugee Rescue

Our vision A future where all those fleeing violence, abuse, hardship and war have the right to safe passage at sea. Our mission Refugee Rescue offers skilled emergency …

Ballycastle, Northern Ireland Sign up to see website
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30
Integrity Assessment
Limited data available
30/100 · methodology
This score reflects limited public data, not concerns about the organization.

About Refugee Rescue

Our vision A future where all those fleeing violence, abuse, hardship and war have the right to safe passage at sea. Our mission Refugee Rescue offers skilled emergency assistance to migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. We bear witness to human rights violations and advocate to make local authorities and intergovernmental bodies accountable for their actions. About Refugee Rescue Refugee Rescue is a grass-roots NGO currently operating a skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team helping displaced people at sea reach safe shores. It was formed in 2015 by ordinary Irish citizens in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Aegean Sea when thousands of people were arriving by boat, having been displaced by war, conflict, and persecution. In Greece, …

Headquarters
Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
Operating in
3 countries

Mission

Our vision A future where all those fleeing violence, abuse, hardship and war have the right to safe passage at sea. Our mission Refugee Rescue offers skilled emergency assistance to migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. We bear witness to human rights violations and advocate to make local authorities and intergovernmental bodies accountable for their actions. About Refugee Rescue Refugee Rescue is a grass-roots NGO currently operating a skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team helping displaced people at sea reach safe shores. It was formed in 2015 by ordinary Irish citizens in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Aegean Sea when thousands of people were arriving by boat, having been displaced by war, conflict, and persecution. In Greece, our crew and volunteers saved over 15,000 people in distress. After being forced to suspend operations for 9 months, we are operating once again, in partnership with the rescue organisation Sea-Eye. Our life-saving rescue vessel, named Mo Chara (meaning 'my friend' in Irish) forms a crucial part of the Sea-Eye 4 ship. Our small and dedicated team is made up of a few core staff and many committed volunteers who work tirelessly to keep Mo Chara afloat. We share the same values of diversity, equality, integrity, respect and transparency that guide us. And none of our missions would have been possible without the generosity of hundreds of donors and partners who have enabled us to save lives. Please join us in our efforts - make a donation now. Registered charity name: Refugee Rescue - Date registered. 04/04/2016 Registered charity number: Charity Commission Number 105156 & HMRC Number NI00583

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Disaster Relief
Operating countries (3)
Italy Malta United Kingdom

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 1 similar disaster relief in Ireland
Integrity Assessment This charity: 30
Peer average: 35

Red flags

· All clear
Charities Regulator removal
OFAC / EU / UN sanctions
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Refugee Rescue is a registered disaster relief nonprofit based in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, Ireland. It is registered with the Charities Regulator of Ireland. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 30/100 (Limited data available). This reflects limited public data, not concerns about the organization.

Refugee Rescue has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 30/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 30 ('Limited data available') reflects limited public data, not concerns about the organization. This is common for smaller, newer, or non-US charities that file fewer public records. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for disaster relief charities in Ireland is 35/100.

Refugee Rescue is located in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, Ireland. Its registered address is 58 LEYLAND MEADOWS.

Refugee Rescue is classified as a Disaster Relief organization, registered in Ireland.

Refugee Rescue has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 30/100. We recommend reviewing the full profile before making a donation decision. The organization is overseen by the Charities Regulator. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

Our vision A future where all those fleeing violence, abuse, hardship and war have the right to safe passage at sea. Our mission Refugee Rescue offers skilled emergency assistance to migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. We bear witness to human rights violations and advocate to make local authorities and intergovernmental bodies accountable for their actions. About Refugee Rescue Refugee Rescue is a grass-roots NGO currently operating a skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team helping displaced people at sea reach safe shores. It was formed in 2015 by ordinary Irish citizens in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Aegean Sea when thousands of people were arriving by boat... Refugee Rescue is classified as a disaster relief organization registered in Ireland.

Among disaster relief charities registered in Ireland: Refugee Rescue's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 30/100 is in line with the peer average of 35/100.

Refugee Rescue is a registered charity in Ireland. Under the Charitable Donation Scheme, if you donate 250 euros or more in a year to an eligible charity, the charity can claim a tax refund from Revenue of approximately 45% of your donation at no extra cost to you.

Verified against 3 official sources, last refreshed .

No financial data available yet

Data will be fetched automatically when available from public sources.

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of Ireland under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Still gathering leadership data

We check government filings and charity disclosures quarterly. If you represent this charity, claim this page to add officers directly.

Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From global news sources

Sentiment

Neutral

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Fourth refugee rescue ship detained in Italy after saving lives at sea - Morning Star | The People’s Daily
Apr 2026
morningstaronline.co.uk
Harnessing Islamic philanthropy to save lives in the Andaman Sea - Lowy Institute
Mar 2026
www.lowyinstitute.org
New Reston-based nonprofit will assist Afghan refugees - FFXnow
Mar 2026
www.ffxnow.com
Refugee rescue organization holds celebration for Afghan women in D.C. area - FFXnow
Mar 2026
www.ffxnow.com
FactFind: What happened when Mairead McGuinness voted against EU refugee rescue missions in 2019? - The Journal
Jul 2025
www.thejournal.ie
Italy impounds Banksy-financed refugee rescue ship - thecanary.co
Mar 2023
www.thecanary.co
NGO refugee rescue ship left waiting on European help that never came - People's World
Feb 2021
www.peoplesworld.org
Open Arms refugee rescue ship saves 250 people in the last week - Catalan News
Nov 2020
www.catalannews.com
Migrants moved off Banksy-funded rescue ship now seek port to dock - Euronews.com
Aug 2020
www.euronews.com
Banksy funds boat to rescue refugees at sea - BBC
Aug 2020
www.bbc.com

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Peer charities

Other disaster relief in Ireland, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Refugee Rescue This page 30 - -
The St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland (Southern … 35 - -

Sources and verification

Refreshed

Registration and legal identity
Charities Regulator of Ireland
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
GlobalGiving partner directory

Data freshness

Last updated
Mar 4, 2026
Profile completeness
45%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Financial filings
No Charity Regulator annual return on file
Executive compensation
Top-officer pay not disclosed
Named leadership
Board and officer list not yet indexed
Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Direct contact
No email or phone published
Tax-deductibility status
Whether donations are tax-deductible has not been verified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Quick facts about Refugee Rescue

What is Refugee Rescue?
Refugee Rescue is a disaster relief nonprofit organization based in Ballycastle, Ireland. Our vision A future where all those fleeing violence, abuse, hardship and war have the right to safe passage at sea. Our mission Refugee Rescue offers skilled emergency assistance to migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. We bear witness to human rights violations and advocate to make local authorities and intergovernmental bodies accountable for their actions. About Refugee Rescue Refugee Rescue is a grass-roots NGO currently operating a skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team helping displaced people at sea reach safe shores. It was formed in 2015 by ordinary Irish citizens in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Aegean Sea when thousands of people were arriving by boat, having been displaced by war, conflict, and persecution. In Greece, our crew and volunteers saved over 15,000 people in distress. After being forced to suspend operations for 9 months, we are operating once again, in partnership with the rescue organisation Sea-Eye. Our life-saving rescue vessel, named Mo Chara (meaning 'my friend' in Irish) forms a crucial part of the Sea-Eye 4 ship. Our small and dedicated team is made up of a few core staff and many committed volunteers who work tirelessly to keep Mo Chara afloat. We share the same values of diversity, equality, integrity, respect and transparency that guide us. And none of our missions would have been possible without the generosity of hundreds of donors and partners who have enabled us to save lives. Please join us in our efforts - make a donation now. Registered charity name: Refugee Rescue - Date registered. 04/04/2016 Registered charity number: Charity Commission Number 105156 & HMRC Number NI00583
Where is Refugee Rescue located?
Headquartered in Ballycastle, Ireland. The charity operates in 3 countries.
Is Refugee Rescue trustworthy?
Refugee Rescue has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 30 out of 100 (Limited data available). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Refugee Rescue's website?
http://www.refugeerescue.org
Are donations to Refugee Rescue tax-deductible?
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of Ireland under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.