August is just around the corner, and for thousands of Italians, the association between summer-holidays-sea is automatic. But for a long time now, the sea, and particularly the Mediterranean Sea, has been an ambivalent symbol, no longer evoking just relaxation and carefree summer days, but also migrations and the tragic events often linked to them.
The image we bring to your attention today speaks of this truth, and of the NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that strive to save as many human lives as possible, operating in extreme conditions, often without adequate support from national governments. In the recent past, a minister even chose the expression “sea taxis” to discredit their work and sow doubts about the effectiveness and good faith of their actions. The minister’s idea, widely disproven by facts and documented research by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (Ispi), was that the constant presence of rescue fleets in Mediterranean waters incentivized migrations themselves, because it provided migrants with extra security. From a media standpoint, the expression was successful and served its purpose: since then, it has spread rapidly online, been repeated by various sources, and quickly made its way into the minds of many people, carrying with it all its load of discredit towards the work of NGOs.
After years of debates and a succession of governments (today’s new trending keywords seem to be “Centers in Albania”), the expression “sea taxis” continues to be used almost everywhere. We believe it is right and necessary to say clearly that sea taxis do not exist. They have never existed. And they never will. Except in this image created with the contribution of Diego Fontana, thanks to artificial intelligence software.
If you are interested in learning more, here is a link to an article published by Internazionale, written by journalist Annalisa Camilli, which discusses the Ispi research and how it has unequivocally shown that the presence of NGOs at sea has produced no form of incentive: https://www.internazionale.it/bloc-notes/annalisa-camilli/2018/02/23/taxi-mare-non-esistono