Over the past five years, political shifts toward more restrictive European migration policies have repeatedly presented major challenges to civil sea rescue organizations. In addition to those active on ships in the Central Mediterranean, volunteers in various onshore positions have also had to deal with these challenges. As a member of Sea-Eye e.V., I start from the assumption that the nature of volunteer work has changed during the development and establishment phase of the offshore and onshore crew. This article aims to explore how the tightening of laws regarding people on the move and civilian sea rescue has impacted the volunteers' perceptions of their work. The focus is on how their understanding of their civilian engagement has changed—particularly regarding activism vs. humanitarian emergency aid. Short questionnaires and interviews with volunteers from various associated departments shed light on their individual positions and paths within the recent political context.