Press release n°7

After three days of action in Tunisia, Oloferne resumes off.
Boats4People activities culminating in Monastir. The days of preparation for the World Social Forum have strengthened the dynamics of common struggle, whether the mobilization of migrants in the Maghreb or those of relatives of the dead and missing at sea migrants.
Oloferne is preparing to sail the route of migrants heading to Lampedusa, one of the gates of fortress Europe, where we will continue monitoring activities and our (…)

Press release n°5

A year and a few months after the "left-to-die boat" case lead to international indignation, another dramatically similar incident reveals how, despite the changed geopolitical situation, migrants keep dying in the Mediterranean sea in appalling conditions.
Last year, in March 2011, 63 people who had left Tripoli in the attempt to reach the Southern shores of Italy, died after drifting for 14 days at sea. This incident occurred during the international military intervention in Libya and as (…)

Press release n°4

Palermo, 8 AM. The solidarity boat sets sail, heading towards Monastir, where on the 13th of July B4P will join the International Committee of the World Social Forum for many events. As the port of Palermo vanishes into the distance, the calm liquid horizon of the Mediterranean opens before the crew. But the B4P campaign precisely denounces the fact that this horizon is an unsurpassable border for the majority of the populations located on the Southern shore of the Mediterranean. And that (…)

Press release n°3

After more than two days’ crossing, the Oloferne, conducting our first mission at sea, won the coast of Sicily on July 4 at around 11:00 pm. He was welcomed by local activists of Boats 4 People. His arrival marks the second step of our action to denounce European migration policies responsible for deaths of boat people in the Mediterranean.
On board with two directors, two journalists, a representative of families of missing and three international activists for freedom of movement, the (…)

While Boats4People’s Oloferne is at sea, many other people are contributing to the campaign from land in Africa, Europe and even as far as the USA. Amongst them, researchers of the Forensic Oceanography research project at Goldsmiths, University of London, who, in the frame of the B4P campaign, have launched a new online mapping platform to monitor in almost real time the death of migrants and violations of their rights at the maritime borders of the EU.
Acting as a “civilian watchtower” (…)