Description
Since 2014, numerous non-governmental organisations or small associations have operated search and rescue (SAR) operations in the central Mediterranean.
Since then, several governments have followed one another in Europe and specifically in Italy, challenging the organisations' crews and structures to cope with changing policies. From 'angels' to 'taxis' of the sea, the activists in solidarity with people on the move have been criminalised and discouraged.
In this paper - the result of experiences on board various ships, as an activist researcher -, I firstly highlight how the various relationships between (supra)state bodies and NGOs influence not only the relationships between different NGOs but also between NGOs and individuals working within them.
Secondly, I highlight how the different motivations that drive activists/rescue workers to set sail create very different forms of solidarity and/or assistance. The very materiality of the sea exposes everyone to a specific form of vulnerability that creates a situation of inevitable emergency. Attempts to cope with it construct efforts to control the moment of encounter at sea and cohabitation on board. However, they often risk replicating neoliberal patterns of migration management.
Finally, I highlight the forms of resistance and struggle on board ships against such models, both by activists and people on the move.
