Solidarity at sea: migrant search and rescue operations in Southern Europe

My objective is twofold: to look at the systems, challenges, practices, beliefs, and values that guide civil sea rescue at sea and to recognise which of those "inadvertently amplify" (Bergman, 2024) existing forms of injustice or create new ones, and to contribute to the interdisciplinary conversation on solidarities with people on the move in the Mediterranean region. I aim to comprehend specific and historical contexts and contribute to the knowledge and practices of solidarity aligned with abolitionist and mutual aid perspectives.

For the first objective, through interviews and ethnography at sea, I want to understand how civil sea rescuers and organisations understand solidarity, their role in the Mediterranean, and their role in the broader movement for freedom of movement. I intend on joining three different ships at sea for a month each, acting in a double role as a researcher and a volunteer rescuer. We will be operating in international waters off the coast of Libya. For the second objective, through interviews on land with networks of activists and people engaged in freedom of movement struggles, I want to understand how they perceive civil sea rescue, how they practice solidarity, the role they play in their specific contexts, and if/how it differs from the sea, and identify knowledge exchange opportunities. For land-based interviews, I intend to travel to Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Morocco.