Paper Short Abstract:

Since 2014 various civil SAR NGOs have started to go at sea to support people on the move crossing towards Europe from Northafrican coasts. Freedom of movement struggles often intertwine with humanitarian logics ending up in a depoliticization process. How to focus on forms of maritime radicalism?

Paper Abstract:

Based on a etnographic field work carried out between 2019 and 2024 on board of different Search and Rescue civil ships in the central mediterranean, the paper focuses on the believes and the practices of the activists on board of such ships. Political and militant background meant to empower people on the move often overlaps or smashes against emergencial and assistential behaviours that victimise the rescuees.

How does the specific maritime context affect the humanitarian and political "currents" intertwined on board? How the sea can allow us to re-think concepts as anti-nativism, border violence, freedom of chioice and of movement, looking at them from a ship?

The materiality of the sea changes the relation between political groups and the State, the management of burocracy and practical action. Furthermore, the different sovreignities overlapping at sea (betwwen territorial water, SAR areas, ZEE areas etc.) create a new context in which investigate health and disease of the contemporary Nation States.