The MotM Monthly
September 2023

Fall begins with all eyes on Lampedusa.
Thousands of people with stories to tell.

We’re back after the summer break, with a recap of news, plus more on how MotM is moving forward in the fall to expand and advocate for the folks in our community.

The past few months have seen rapid increases in the number of people crossing various borders and ports of entry around the Mediterranean, resulting in disturbing and tragic stories. The reception center at Lampedusa reports that many of the people making boat crossings from Sub-Saharan Africa are using the port at Sfax in Tunisia, a change from primary departure points in Libya.

In August, two of these boats capsized, and 57 survivors were picked up 25 miles from Lampedusa. Two bodies, of a woman and toddler, have been picked up by the Italian Coast Guard, and at least 30 more are missing, some of whom were stranded on a cliff due to severe winds.

This is just one part of a recent influx of people on the move, and the center in Lampedusa, which was already 2,000 people over capacity, saw a rapid increase in arrivals the evening of Tuesday the 12th of September to Wednesday the 13th of almost 6,800 people. The Lampedusa city council announced a state of emergency following this overflow of new arrivals. 

The Mediterranean migration route is the most deadly in the world, and as this influx of people turns to Italy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s xenophobic tendencies are troubling for the futures of people in the migrant community facing a country increasingly emboldened by her fearful rhetoric. 

Without the intervention of NGOs, people must rely on smugglers or other illegal means to seek safety across the Mediterranean Sea. The crisis in Lampedusa this summer invokes the roots of MotM as an organization that began its work on the island seven years ago, and reminds of us of how much there is to do.

On July 16th, the EU signed an agreement with Tunisia that included a 1 billion euro aid package. However, Black migrants have been subject to racist attacks, which police have ignored and actively refused to investigate. One report states, “The Tunisian police, military, and national guard including the coast guard have committed serious abuses” against Black people passing through their ports.

This is another reminder that documenting stories of people in the migrant community, as we do here at MotM, is key to holding states accountable, as well as to the activism that prioritizes the needs of vulnerable people on the move today. Stay with us this fall and winter and we make a return to reporting to account for the many incredible people that we so far are only seeing in the news as numbers.

–Isa Rosario-Blake

Almost 6,800 people landed in Lampedusa in a 36-hour period, on 13-14 September. More than ever, Humanitarian Storytelling is needed to account for these distressed and vulnerable people. (Source: Anadolu Ajansi)

We Are Growing.
See the strides we're making in 2023.

Migrants of the Mediterranean has made the move from fiscally-sponsored organization to fully-incorporated nonprofit at the state level in April 2023; and in June 2023, our 501(c)3 tax-exempt status was approved, a huge moment that was truly seven years in the making. MotM now stands on its own two feet. We're glad to have you, our loyal MotM family, at our side as we make this great leap!

On the heels of that incorporation, we were named a community partner with Occidental College in Los Angeles. The college has based a new course in fall 2023 on our methodology of storytelling, a big move in our efforts to help drive new migration scholarship. MotM Founder, Pamela Kerpius, will join professor Kristi Upson-Saia to co-teach at the college later next month.

Making a guest appearance at the class alongside Kerpius is our friend and long-time MotM community member, Andrew. He’ll be visiting for a remote session from Naples, Italy, to shed light on the experience of being a participant in the MotM work. It's one of the ways we always aim to incorporate the people we work for in our lectures, events and promotions. It's our biggest pride to have Andrew with us––and in his own words.

How We Work.
Get to know more about the organization.

Did you ever wonder what makes up Humanitarian Storytelling? It’s a term you see a lot, but it has a specific meaning to the arc and impact of our work. Take a look below, and see our freshly revamped About Us page to learn more.

See you next month when we'll share a new element of our work. Wishing everyone a happy start to the fall season.

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