boats 4 people

Since the beginning of the 2010s, numerous African and European organizations have unsuccessfully called on governments regarding the migrants who die each year at the land and sea borders of the European Union (EU). In the Mediterranean, several thousand people die each year, leaving their loved ones in distress, even though not only the coast guard ships but also Frontex surveillance patrols are present in the region.

Faced with these shipwrecks, the silence of European countries that lock themselves in their refusal to welcome refugees, thus forcing exiles to take increasingly risky routes, and faced with repressive policies that increasingly criminalize migration to Europe and those who provide assistance to distressed migrants, we advocate for a solidarity in the Mediterranean.

It is in this context that associations and activists came together in 2011 to establish the international coalition Boats 4 People (B4P) to defend the rights of migrants at sea. B4P's flagship action was the journey of a sailboat between Italy and Tunisia in 2012 to raise awareness about the tragedy in the Mediterranean. A documentary by Nathalie Loubeyre, "À contre-courant," retraces this journey. Today, Boats 4 People brings together 11 associations from both sides of the Mediterranean shores.