In 2019, Banksy announced that he would finance a boat to rescue refugees attempting to reach Europe from North Africa. The vessel, Louise Michel, named after a French feminist anarchist, set off in secrecy on August 18 from the Spanish seaport of Burriana, near Valencia, and traveled to the central Mediterranean where it rescued 89 people in distress. Among those rescued were 14 women and 4 children. Approximately 350 people were saved in the first week alone by the Louise Michel.

Painted in bright pink with an extinguisher and featuring Banksy artwork depicting a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy.

The Louise Michel sails under a German flag. The 31-metre motor yacht, formerly owned by French customs authorities, is smaller but considerably faster than other NGO rescue vessels. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people attempted to make the journey across the Mediterranean in order to escape conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, and more than 1,300 people died.