From Sea to Prison (Annual Report 2025)

A project in cooperation with UNITED4RESCUE

In the course of the collective attempt to close its borders, the EU uses numerous means of deterrence to prevent people from seeking safety in Europe. The criminalisation of people on the move and those who are in solidarity with them has been a widespread strategy for years. borderline-europe Sicily has prepared an overview of the different possible forms of criminalisation. In Italy, too, people are prosecuted under the charge of "aiding and abetting unauthorised entry". This strategic approach covers a wide range of activities and defendants: migrants who organise support for relatives and friends during their flight, organisations and individuals who work in different ways for people on the move, or people who are prosecuted for having steered the boat on which they arrived in Italy.

In a joint project with the organisations Arci Porco Rosso Palermo, Alarmphone and Borderline Sicilia, an extensive research on the practice and the political and legal background of the criminalisation of the so-called "boat drivers" in Italy was carried out last year: https://fromseatoprison.info

In the follow-up project, the focus shifts from research to informing a broader public about the issue and actively supporting those affected. More information can be found in the quarterly reports of the project: Read the full annual report of 2025.