Tech activists write code to save migrants in the Mediterranean

Migrants wait to disembark from a fiber boat after being rescued by a Spanish coast guard vessel in the port of Arguineguin, Spain on Feb 3, 2024. Tech-savvy volunteers are building apps such as One Fleet to help migrant rescue NGOs reach ships in distress in the Mediterranean. — Reuters

When a migrant rescue non-profit asked Nik Zemke if he could design an app to pinpoint ships in distress in the Mediterranean, the German web developer headed to a hackers’ convention to look for like-minded volunteers.

He found help among the hordes of tech hobbyists huddled over their laptops at the Chaos Computer Club’s annual gathering in the northern city of Hamburg – a mecca for hackers and activists intent on using their coding skills for social good.