Voices from Liminality: Civil Society Search and Rescue Organisations as Agents of Migration De-Securitisation

Abstract

Politicians and administrations of EU member states have targeted the operations of civil society search and rescue (SAR) organisations throughout the past years. As rescue ships have frequently been stopped or arrested and individuals are facing criminal investigations, there are currently very limited humanitarian SAR capacities on the main migratory routes in the Mediterranean. In this article, I describe the developments that led to today’s situation. Resorting to securitisation theory, I argue that political actors influenced the construction of migrants and human rights defenders as criminals. Shedding light on the effects of the collapse of SAR in the Mediterranean on migrants’ vulnerabilities, this article advocates for a more empathic discursive construction of people on the move. A multi-dimensional view on the situation of migrants crossing the Mediterranean is necessary for a less prejudiced perception of vulnerability. Through the analysis of the effects of criminalisation of SAR non-governmental organisations (NGO) a deeper understanding of the complexity and interconnection of vulnerabilities can be achieved. Ultimately, it becomes clear that the NGOs are not only humanitarian actors but also important discursive actors espousing transnational solidarity by giving agency to people on the move.