Against the Tide: The Counter-Repression Strategies of Sea Rescue Organizations in the Mediterranean

Abstract

Since 2017, Italian authorities have repressed nongovernmental sea rescuers operating in the Mediterranean Sea. These repressive practices have been enacted irrespective of the ideological orientation of the governments in office, but have evolved over time. The strategies devised by civil society organizations to resist repression have adapted accordingly, encompassing a range of activities such as the dissemination of counternarratives aimed at desecuritizing migration, the establishment of alliances with sympathetic state actors, the reflagging or replacement of the ships used for rescue operations, and engagement in legal mobilization. This article examines how the repressive practices of the Italian government and the counter-repression actions of civil society organizations influenced one another from 2017 to 2023. We show that although governmental repression reduced civil society’s rescue operations, the organizations’ ability to adapt and engage in counter-repression strategies has ensured the continuation of their lifesaving activities.