Banksy’s involvement in the rescue mission goes back to September 2019, when he sent an email to Pia Klemp, the former captain of several NGO boats that have rescued thousands of people over recent years. The email read, "Hello Pia, I’ve read about your story in the papers. You sound like a badass, I am an artist from the UK and I’ve made some work about the migrant crisis, obviously I can’t keep the money. Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Well done. Banksy.”

At first, Klemp thought it was a joke, but soon realized it was genuine. In August 2020, Louise Michel, a 31-meter rescue boat painted in pink and decorated with Banksy artwork depicting a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy, set off in secrecy from the Spanish seaport of Burriana to intercept refugee boats fleeing North Africa for Europe. The vessel is a 19th-century anarchist boat named after Louise Michel, a French feminist and anarchist who fought for social justice.

The Louise Michel is run by 10 experienced rescue volunteers and activists and is on the lookout for migrants in flimsy rafts or boats. Approximately 350 people were saved in the first week, and the vessel tweeted seeking help from the EU as no country seemed willing to step up and offer safe harbor. The boat sails under a German flag and brings the passengers of intercepted refugee boats to safer craft. For more information on the Louise Michel, visit their website at www.mvlouisemichel.org.