Two days ago, in the morning, a boat arrived right next to where I was staying. Where are we?' someone asked my landlord. He said: 'Lampedusa'. The arrivals cheered
There were 25 people from Syria and Sudan. They had paid between $3,500 and $5,000 each to travel from Ras Ajdir, on the Tunisian-Libyan border, to 'wherever they arrive'. The distance they travelled was 277 km, I don't know how long it took.
But I do know how shocked I was when I saw the boat. It was a rubber dinghy with an outboard motor. It was so small that I can't imagine how 25 people could stay on it for hours, days, without a break. Any movement too fast could cause the boat to capsize. So you head out to sea, close together, not knowing if or when you will reach the mainland. No, I can't imagine that and I don't want to.
That day, 11 boats with 442 people arrived.
The Lampedusa Project
- Year
- 2024-2025
- Venues
- Lampedusa, Italy
- Blog