Tag: Photography

FIREHAWKS

Featured photographers


Photography setting fire to childhood trauma –
Open Eye Gallery to host first photography exhibition about firesetting

Firehawks
Open Eye Gallery – Liverpool
Exhibition: 26 Sep 2025 – 16 Nov 2025
Media Preview: 25 September, between 12:30 – 4pm

The Photojournalism Hub is proud to feature ‘Firehawks’, an important forthcoming exhibition at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool. For the first time, the subject of firesetting is to be explored in a gallery space, as part of an exhibition by photographer Stephen King.
Opening in Liverpool on 26 September until 16 November 2025, the ‘Firehawks’ exhibition at Open Eye Gallery, one of the UK’s leading photography galleries, follows a long-term project led by Stephen King to uncover real-life experiences of children involved in firesetting behaviour.

Rarely spoken about, the term ‘firesetting behaviour’ is not widely known or understood. In
England, tens of thousands of deliberate fires are recorded each year. Often regarded as arson
or acts of vandalism, many are started by children.
‘Firehawks’ seeks to raise awareness of fire setting through a visual demonstration of why
individuals are drawn to this element as a silent language of survival, often due to a traumatic
experience or environment that is challenging to speak about.
It will also shine a light on the people and services who help to understand and overcome
the complexities that can be indicated by firesetting behaviour.
Featuring 20 images, displayed in a narrative of three phases; destruction, communication and
renewal; ‘Firehawks’ is the culmination of years of work for Stephen, who himself has lived
experience of firesetting as a child. After collaborating with London Fire Brigade Firesetting
Intervention Scheme, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Fire and Rescue
Service as well as numerous conversations and workshops with individuals with lived experience,
he has developed an exhibition of work borne out of his innate ability to listen and respond to
people’s experiences and sensitively transpose their accounts into visual, metaphorical
depictions.


“This exhibition is the result of several years of work, but ultimately a lifetime of
trying to understand and heal from my own experiences of firesetting as a young person. I’ve
worked with so many people associated with firesetting – young people who have set fires, adults
who used to and those who work to understand, intervene and care for them. Their ability to talk,
share and allow me to portray their experiences through my photography, has been very
humbling. The visual language of photography can break barriers and destigmatise what is an
incredibly sensitive subject, and the culmination of this project will hopefully bring a positive
platform to those who are working through their trauma, who have overcome it, and show
audiences that the work of frontline services is much more beyond ‘putting out fires’.” – Stephen King


Beginning as an Arts Council-funded research project in 2021, Stephen and the exhibition’s
producer Angharad Williams, have worked closely with Open Eye Gallery’s social practice team
and leading specialist in the field of child firesetting behaviour, Joanna Foster, to develop a larger
scale project, looking at firesetting, its triggers, impacts and personal stories.
Joanna, who is author of the book ‘Children and Teenagers Who Set Fires: Why they do it and
how to help’ said:

“The significant maltreatment in the formative years of many children and
teenagers who set fires is well evidenced. Such relational and attachment trauma can lead to
complex survival responses and often crippling coping mechanisms, which can include acting out
in the form of setting fires. These fires can help regulate intense and overwhelming emotions,
draw attention to an otherwise invisible child, or give voice to words and feelings that are too
difficult to speak.” – Joanna Foster

The photographic series shown in the exhibition does not seek to diagnose or define. Instead, it
invites the viewer to sit within the tension of the fire, connecting with the issue of firesetting
through images of anonymised people and situations, portrayed with a filmic and dreamlike
quality. A black dog walks among scorched trees, carrying stories in its teeth; dolls burn on a
mattress floating on reflective water; a fire service training dummy supports a young boy on the
edge of a precipice; new life starts to grow in a community orchard – a site which holds firesetting
memories for the photographer himself. Stephen continues:


“The images don’t depict fairy tales, though they borrow their familiar shapes.
I wanted to be sure that fire was ever present in the exhibition, encapsulating the flickering, crackle, and smoulder of the element at the core of the stories. In circumstances of firesetting, flames become a language, a companion, a compulsion, a release. The work gathers fragments; stories from children, adults talking of their younger selves, voices from those who work in fire and rescue services, memories that smoulder long after the event. It is not a study, but a visual reckoning — born from experience, shaped by dialogue, held in a shared, collective space. I hope it makes those who have been through trauma feel less alone and less stigmatised.”

“It is so exciting to see the ‘Firehawks’ project become a reality this year within our galleries, as we’ve been discussing the project with Stephen for more than five years. Like most good,
socially engaged projects, however, this shouldn’t seem a surprise, as working collaboratively with communities to shape and visualise stories which are important to them takes time. ” – Elizabeth Wewiora, head of social practice at Open Eye Gallery said. And ‘Firehawks’ is a very particular story, which needs to be explored with care and sensitivity;
something we hold real value in at Open Eye Gallery.


“Stephen’s approach considers the anonymity of all involved whilst still opening up a visual
conversation for our audiences as it explores why people can be drawn to fire during traumatic
experiences in their lives, and moreover how wider society and our frontline services respond
and deal with this. Stephen’s photographic work leans into the metaphorical and surreal which is
also a welcome alternative approach to socially engaged photographic imagery, which can tend
to sit more within a documentary style. We can’t wait to see the work come together in the gallery
this September.” – Elizabeth Wewiora


The root of the exhibition’s title links to the phenomenon of the Firehawk, an Australian bird which
has been observed creating bushfires by carrying burning sticks to new locations, deliberately
spreading fire to flush prey from the undergrowth. The Firehawk bird has never been digitally
captured, and most accounts are from first nation experts in Australia. This rare act of intentional
ignition by a non-human species gestures toward something deeply instinctive, even ritualistic, as
a form of survival, much like the humans in the exhibition who connect with fire as a copying
mechanism through trauma.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and
in collaboration with London Fire Brigade Firesetting Intervention Scheme,
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Lucy Hodson, PR & Communications
lucy.hodson@outlook.com
07967 551 002

All photos copyright: Stephen King


Notes to Editors:
About the photographer, Stephen King
www.stephenkingphotography.co.uk
Instagram: skingphoto
Stephen King is a socially engaged photographer with over 20 years’ experience of working across cultural,
educational and community sectors. His practice is varied but always involves collaborations with people
and how they navigate society as individuals or part of a community. Moving from documentary and
editorial work in 2008 to more personally instigated & collaborative work, he has since collaborated on
projects with industrial workers, miners, prisoners, LGBTQ communities, veterans, retail workers,
universities, people with dementia, homeless, young people, travellers, sporting clubs, medical institutions,
artists, writers & academics. In 2009 ACE funded Stephen’s project ‘Lewis’s Fifth Floor: A Department
Story’ which was exhibited in National Museums Liverpool (with a publication), Orange Dot Gallery London
& Brighton Photo Fringe Biennial (winning Danny Wilson Memorial Prize). In 2013 he was awarded the
International Development Fund – Artist in Residence at CREATE, Dublin. In 2016 ‘Dry Your Eyes
Princess’, a collaboration with John Moores University, exhibited at National Museums Liverpool
(Homotopia Festival) & Red Barn Gallery, Belfast (Outburst Festival). Key commissioners include Heart of
Glass, Age Concern, Arts Admin, Cork Midsummer Festival, FACT & Arts Council England. His breadth of
experience & diversity of collaborations, echoes a genuine passion to work with others to tell their own
stories through the powerful & accessible medium of photography.

Open Eye Gallery
Open Eye Gallery is an independent, not-for-profit photography gallery based in Liverpool. One of the
UK’s leading photography spaces, it is the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in the
North West of England. A registered charity, Open Eye Gallery believes photography is for everyone and
can be meaningful, informing our present and inspiring positive futures. Open Eye Gallery works with
people to explore photography’s unique ability to connect, to tell stories, to inquire, to reflect on humanity’s past and present, and to celebrate its diversity and creativity.

Open Eye Gallery is open 10 am – 5 pm,
Tuesday to Sunday, 19 Mann Island L3 1BP.
Facebook / Instagram / X: @OpenEyeGallery

Masoud Amin Naji: Children of Iran

Uncategorized

Documentary photos & text by Masoud Amin Naji
copyright Masoud Amin Naji, 2025

We are delighted to present Masoud Amin Naji as our featured photographer. His work documents the plight of street children in Iran, who are forced into labour due to economic hardship. Through his lens, Masoud offers a rare and powerful glimpse into a reality that is often hidden from view, as access to such stories from Iran remains extremely difficult.

“This is the Middle East. It consists of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The people here are kind and knowledgeable, but for various reasons such as tribal wars, poor economy, cultural and religious differences, they are forced to either abandon their children or use them for a living. They force children who are deprived of education, love, happiness, fun and play to do hard and tiring work. Even if they do not want to work, they are forced to work and, without wanting to, they lose a good life full of happiness, health and respect.

Maybe they can be helped to return to the normal cycle of life. There is no doubt that they are brilliant talents.
You may have heard these sentences in newspaper headlines or in films such as Bicycle Thief (Ladri di Bicicletta), but here with these documentary photos we want to talk about children whose entire childhood or perhaps their entire life is spent longing for a normal life.


After all, for what crime and mistake should the entire life and happiness of a child be ruined, this is the Middle East and such things happens a lot, let’s be together for once and work for women and children so that they can have a normal life” – Masoud Amin Naji

Photos: Masoud Amin Naji

Masoud Amin Naji
Instagram: masoudnaji682

IN FOCUS: From London Streets to War Zones, Two Photographers, One Shared Humanity

IN FOCUS

1 September 2025, 7:25 pm
Riverside Studios
101 Queen Caroline Street
London W6 9BN

TO BOOK A PLACE: HERE

Ellie Ramsden and Vudi Xhymshiti bring powerful, contrasting perspectives to our next IN FOCUS of 1st September event, revealing stories of identity, resilience, and courage from British subcultures to the frontlines of global conflict.

Ellie Ramsden is a London-based photographic artist whose practice centres on portrait and documentary photography, informed by a deep interest in human behaviour, interaction, and communication. Working primarily with analogue film, she adopts a slower, more considered approach that allows for intimacy and reflection in her work.
Her practice often incorporates elements of co-creation, aiming to foster dialogue, challenge stereotypes, and present alternative perspectives through authentic, collaborative storytelling. Ellie’s personal projects focus on British subcultures and communities, exploring themes such as youth culture, gender equality, collective identity, and resistance to mainstream narratives.
Balancing self-initiated projects with commissioned work, Ellie’s photography has been exhibited internationally and widely featured in the press. Her work is held in the permanent archive of the Museum of Youth Culture.

Vudi Xhymshiti is an investigative journalist, war reporter, and foreign editor based in London, renowned for his fearless reporting on armed conflicts, political corruption, and global power struggles. With a career spanning over 18 years, he has covered some of the world’s most volatile regions, from the Arab Spring and Syria’s civil war to Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, and ongoing tensions in the Balkans.
As the founder and editor-in-chief of The Gunpowder Chronicles – www.thegpc.uk, Xhymshiti delivers in-depth investigative journalism exposing corruption, disinformation warfare, and geopolitical manoeuvring that threaten democracy and human rights. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, TIME, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, and La Repubblica, among others.
Vudi’s work seeks to document the human condition in the face of war, occupation, and political oppression, with a focus on the resilience, dignity, and courage of ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances.
In Ukraine, Vudi has been recording the stories of those who have survived the brutality of the Russian invasion, capturing their lived experiences in the aftermath of atrocities and amidst ongoing destruction. His photographs aim not only to bear witness to suffering but to highlight perseverance, the fight for identity, and the everyday struggles for survival in the shadow of geopolitical violence.

IN FOCUS is presented by the Photojournalism Hub in collaboration of Riverside Studios, bringing to the public compelling and thought-provoking contemporary documentary photography and photojournalism.

I AM YOUR LOCAL…

Exhibition

Press Release

Photojournalism Hub presents I Am Your Local…, a photography exhibition in collaboration with Hikayetna at London Shepherd’s Bush Market marking Refugee Week 2025.

“I Am Your Local…” features work by photographers from migrant and refugee backgrounds, offering unique insights into lived experiences, personal perspectives, and deep connections with their subjects.

At a time when migration is often framed through the lens of crisis, “I Am Your Local…” shifts the narrative by centering the voices and visions of those with lived experience, reclaiming space and dignity through the act of visual storytelling. The exhibition also speaks to urgent contemporary issues—including border politics, identity, and belonging—offering a deeply human perspective on today’s global and local realities.

The selected photographs communicate the immense resilience of migrants and refugees as they navigate grief, isolation, language barriers, and the challenges of adapting to life in a new country.

Supported by H&F Council, “I Am Your Local…” celebrates and honours the everyday contributions of migrants and refugees in our society, while fostering meaningful connections with the wider community.

The exhibition also highlights the power of photography as a creative tool for expression, empowerment, and social change.

“I Am Your Local…” shines a light and provides a tool to share the personal stories of the many individuals who are an integral part of our society, yet are often anonymised by a broad narrative that only sees them as migrants or refugees rather than as the chef, the doctor, the teacher, the volunteer, and so forth. It provides a space to reclaim identity and celebrate the many roles’ migrants and refugees hold in our communities.” – Cinzia D’Ambrosi

“I Am Your Local…” features the photographic work of Annie Gentil-Kraatz, Evgeniya Strygina, Manuela Federl, Maria Tomas Rodrigues, Nafisa Elfatih Elmahina, Natalia Sharomova, Nuriya Aliyaskarova, Olena Vasiukevych, Richard Zubelzu, Serbest Salih, Shasheet Alaa, and Uwera Djamilla.

Photos from the exhibition (installation shots, close-ups of work on the walls, exhibition design).

THE OPENING

Photojournalism Hub in collaboration with Hikayetna, proudly celebrated the opening of I am Your Local… photography exhibition at Shepherd’s Bush Market to mark Refugee Week 2025.

The exhibition presented a beautiful fusion of photographs, video, and installation art, thoughtfully curated by Cinzia D’Ambrosi, founder and director of the Photojournalism Hub. Drawn by the reflection of how our community is inspired and supported by the many who are not originally from the UK.

Many who are part of our daily lives, yet are often left invisible; shopkeepers, teachers, drivers, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, and many others. presented the work of twelve talented photographers from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The selected twelve photographers, including those who fled the war in Ukraine, Syria, and photographers from a migrant background presented photography that addresses urgent contemporary issues including border politics, identity, and belonging, amplifying voices too often unheard.

The Opening event was filled with inspiring conversations, shared experiences, and a strong sense of community as visitors engaged with the photographs, video film and installation, and connected with the stories behind them.

The exhibition is kindly supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

OPEN CALL

“I AM YOUR LOCAL…”


Photojournalism Hub and Hikayetna are pleased to announce an OPEN CALL for photographers, amateur photographers, visual storytellers to contribute to our upcoming exhibition, “ I Am Your Local…’ to mark a weeklong of celebrations run by H&F council for Refugee Week from 16-22 June 2025.
We would like to celebrate the invaluable contributions of migrants and refugees to our communities with a photography exhibition. This Open Call invites photographers, amateurs and visual artists, especially from the local migrant and refugee community, to submit their work responding to the theme.
We are looking for visual stories that highlight the roles refugees play in society. These stories should be about individuals who are integral to our daily lives, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, and others who have built a home and contributed to the fabric of our society. We hope that the exhibition will serve as a platform for celebration and an opener of important conversations on the existing challenges that refugees and migrants face.
Therefore, we are seeking compelling photo stories and images that educate, expose, and celebrate the experiences of migrants and refugees, from their struggles and resilience to triumphs.
We hope that by opening this exhibitionI Am Your Local… will become Just like You  by fostering deeper understanding, challenging stereotypes and highlighting  the rich cultural and social impact of migration.

Who can submit: 
Submissions are open only to contributors with refugee and migrant backgrounds who are based in the UK.

How to submit:
Singles or Series: Up to 6 images per submission, a short statement (max 300 words) about the work, and a short bio (max 150 words).
Name, contact details, and relevant website and social media accounts.
Images should be titled as follows: LastName_FirstName_Title.jpg

Deadline: 30th of April
Submit your images to: admin@photojournalismhub.org

Why Participate?
-Selected works will be showcased in a curated exhibition, gaining exposure to a wider audience.
-Selected works will be published on Hikayetna and Photojournalism Hub website.
-Opportunity to engage in important conversations around migration and identity.
-A chance to connect with fellow photographers and documentary storytellers.

Project manager: Sulaiman Othman sulaiman55@hotmail.co.uk
Curator: Cinzia D’Ambrosi cinzia@photojournalismhub.org

www.photojournalismhub.org

www.hikayetna.com

The exhibition is kindly supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Photojournalism Hub x Riverside Studios 24th March

IN FOCUS

24th March 2025, 7:15 pm
Riverside Studios
101 Queen Caroline Street
London W6 9BN

To join: HERE

Photojournalism Hub March 2025 In Focus event at Riverside Studios will welcome uniquely experienced and talented photographers Janine Wiedel and Gabrielle Motola. Their presentations will guide us into the world of the documentary photo book from the point of view of visual anthropology and psychological and ethnocultural studies.
The photographers’ works will be available during the evening – some for purchase and others for free (donations to Gabrielle Motola’s photographic bursary will be very welcome).

This event will be hosted by photojournalist Sabrina Merolla and Photojournalism Hub’s founder and director Cinzia D’Ambrosi. The talks will be followed by Q&As and time to socialise and mingle.

Janine Wiedel has been working as a documentary photographer and visual anthropologist since the late 1960s. From the Berkeley Riots and Black Panther Movement in California to the in-depth portrayal of the UK’s main historical protests since the 70s, she always fuelled a lifelong interest in movements and sub-cultures.
Wiedel has persistently reworked her long-term projects, which have become prominent studies, books and exhibitions. She has published zines (Café Royal Books) and historical milestone books such as Vulcan’s Forge, dedicated to the West Midland Industries (1977-79). In-depth projects have focused on Irish Travellers, Baffin Island Inuits, UK Industries, Iran, Protest movements, Urban Squatting, Eco Warriors, the Rastafarian Community, and the Refugee Camps in Northern France. Currently, she is pulling together her book on the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (1983/84). It will soon be followed by a book dedicated to ‘St Agnes Place Squat’ (2003-06), a notorious street in South London squatted by a diverse range of people over 30 years and evicted in 2006.
Web: https://archive.wiedel-photo-library.com/index
Insta: @wiedelphoto

Gabrielle Motola is an award-winning photographer, writer, and photo therapist whose work blends emotional depth with perceptive realism. Her creative process often integrates with solo motorcycle travels leading to portraiture, street, and infrared landscape photography, exploring self-reflection, resilience, and the human connection.
Her photo book, An Equal Difference (2016), is an ethno-photographic exploration of Iceland’s striking contrasts while examining gender dynamics following the 2008 financial crisis. Created over three years, the book centres on dialogues with individuals from diverse walks of life, including politicians, scientists, artists and educators. These conversations go beyond the surface to reveal the complexities of the Icelandic mindset, encouraging a reflection on identity, gender equality, and the societal norms that influence them. Through her workshops, Gabrielle brings a reflective approach, inspiring participants to realise their unique creative potential.
www.anequaldifference.com www.gabriellemotola.com
Gabrielle’s workshops bursary: www.gabriellemotola.com/learn/#bursary
Insta: @anequaldifference & @gmotophotos

BECOME A PJH MEMBER
Consider becoming a member of the Photojournalism Hub. Your support will enable us to continue our work promoting photographic work that expose, raise awareness of social justice issues. To learn more how to become a member and the benefits of joining, follow the link HERE

Youth Documentary Photography Course

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUTHS

Learn to work as a photographer, produce a portfolio and have your work published.

A photography course, visual narrative and portfolio development programme free for youth, residents of Hammersmith and Fulham, who have an interest in telling stories through photographs and developing skills and developing a visual portfolio through practical photography assignments, publishing own work, receiving mentorships.
The workshops include practical assignments and guidance in developing personal projects leading to the development of a portfolio of visual work, which will assist in enhancing access to further education and employment, training opportunities . Participants will also receive one to one mentorship and portfolio advice and photography based visits. During the programme, you will produce photo magazines Youth Reporting Mag to be published online and distributed in print form, and at the end of the programme your work will be showcased at a public Photography Exhibition.

Photography course starting in November 2024.

What you will gain
Our photo storytelling workshops are designed to provide reporting skills, writings, photo editing, photo book designing, video and audio reporting. The activities are a great opportunity for participants to gain practical experience through assignments, personal projects, receive peer support and develop connections with like minded people.
Furthermore, participants will gain a portfolio of visual work which is a key for entering further education in the media and arts industry and/or for gaining work opportunities. Our programme allows participants to express their views, gain confidence and form meaningful relationships with fellow participants as well as be equipped with empowering tools to enter the media industry.

Who can apply
Workshops are suitable for youths (16-25 years old), living in Hammersmith and Fulham with an interest in photography, and the creative arts. No previous experience is required. Camera equipment is available for those that don’t own a camera.

How to apply
You can apply by registering by emailing us : admin@photojournalismhub.org or call us: 07960940766.

The project is kindly supported by the NHS Trust West London.

Photojournalism Hub x Riverside Studios 25th September

IN FOCUS
25th September 2024, 7 pm

Riverside Studios
101 Queen Caroline Street
London W6 9BN
To join: HERE

We are thrilled to introduce award-winning photographers Anselm Ebulue and Mark Chapman at the In Focus event on the 25th of September. Both photographers bring a unique perspective to the photographic medium, transitioning from deeply personal, introspective, visceral stories on loss and mourning to powerful, straightforward documentary photography.

Anselm Ebulue is a documentary photographer based in London. He was a winner in the 2018 and 2020 Portrait of Britain award and was awarded a scholarship for the LCC x Magnum Documentary Photography Short Course. He has recently graduated from the MA Photojournalism and Documentary course at UAL. His work has been published in a variety of publications and clients include The Guardian and Observer, The Modern House, Time Out Magazine and Red Bull.

Anselm will be presenting ‘Whims of the Rye’ which is an ongoing documentary series exploring Ebulue’s personal relationship with Peckham, in south east London. Ebulue’s approach is visceral, making pictures of mundane spaces that resonate with his emotive reactions where memory and change intersect. The work expresses a sense of loss, mourning the transformation of an area in a state of rapid flux that is most clearly evidenced by its gentrification. 
Ebulue is particularly interested in the relationship Black communities have with Peckham and through documentation, hopes to highlight the significance of the area to the Black diaspora. Whims of the Rye serves as both a celebration and preservation of the Black communities who have called Peckham home for many decades.

Mark Chapman is an award-winning photographer and film-maker based in Gateshead, North East England and London. His moving-image work has been screened internationally across narrative, documentary and experimental contexts.
Chapman’s debut photobook ‘God’s Promises Mean Everything’ explores isolation and displacement via a long-term study of a hostel resident from Teesside. The book was published by internationally renowned Dewi Lewis Publishing and launched during Photo London at Somerset House in May 2024.
Mark will be speaking about ‘God’s Promises Mean Everything’, an immersive long-term character portrait that extends over seven years, but limits its perspective to a single room. Haunted by the spectre of the family he lost, Derek, a hostel resident from Teesside lives without the social safety nets many of us take for granted. Mark was given unique access to document Derek’s life over several years and the project seeks to elevate a working class story that would otherwise go unacknowledged.
The images are an inseparable mix of the self-aware and spontaneous, candid and constructed. Seeking to explore the boundaries between filmmaking and photography practice, I want to tell urgent contemporary stories that are also rigorous aesthetic constructions. However, my aim is not straightforward realism, but rather to transform. My work moves between naturalism and expressiveness, altering the shape of the real world into something disturbing and mysterious.
This is now the third project in which Derek has appeared (across film and photography): his unifying presence creates a constellation of individual projects across disciplines that have now become an open-ended archive of experience. The Dewi Lewis Publishing website: https://www.dewilewis.com/products/gods-promises-mean-everything

Selene Magnolia Gatti: Mediterranean Christmas at the World’s Deadliest Sea Border 

Featured photographers
December 2023, Mediterranean sea. People onboard an overcrowded rubberboat drifting in the central Mediterranean sea have been found by the rescue crew of the Sea-Watch 5, at sunset on Christmas Eve.

The history of migration across the Mediterranean goes back thousands of years. In recent years, tens of thousands of people have crossed the Mediterranean by boat from North Africa and Turkey to seek asylum or to migrate to Europe. The central Mediterranean Sea is the Europe’s deadliest frontier. In 2014 and 2015, about 320,000 people crossed the sea from North Africa to Europe, mainly ending up in Italy and Malta. The next year, the vast majority of migrants crossing to Europe did so in the Eastern Mediterranean, landing on Greek islands close to the Turkish coast. Altogether, however, the most dangerous route is still in the central Mediterranean where distances are longer and the weather more unpredictable.

In 2023 alone, at least 3,129 men, women and children trying to cross into Europe were reported missing or dead at sea – an average of 8 people per day. This makes 2023 the deadliest since 2017. While Libya remains the main point of departure, during 2023 the number of boats leaving from Tunisia have increased dramatically. The majority of migrants are being smuggled by human traffickers who charge thousands of euros for a vague promise to take migrants to the closest EU territory. Most of these migrants are subject to serious abuse prior to their departure and there’s no guarantees of ever making it to Europe.

Fenruary 2021, Medieterranean sea. People onboard an overcrowded rubberboat drifting in the night through the central Mediterranean sea have been found by the rescue crew of the Sea-Watch 3. The rescue operation was carried out in the darkness.

Since 2014 around 30,000 migrants have been confirmed dead at sea but the reality is that many more attempt the crossing and lose their lives without ever being found. With legal pathways to gaining entry to the EU not an option for most refugees detained in or transiting through Libya or Tunisia, risking their lives at sea is the only way out the country.

The stories of those who make it to Europe mostly have a similar theme. In the places where they were waiting for passage to Europe they were often working for no money, being kidnapped for ransom and facing horrendous violence, murders, forced eviction, destruction of property, detention and arbitrary arrests, even if they were on their way back to their country of origin. Thousands of migrants find themselves in an impossible situation. Either they endure abuse in the transit countries or risk the journey to Europe.

December 2023, Mediterranean sea. RHIB crew of the Sea-Watch 5 during a training. The RHIB crew has the task to perform first approach and provide the first rescue to the peole in distress at sea, transferring them from their boats on the morhter ship. Trainings are frequent, intense, and cover almost all possible real scenarios that could occur during a critical rescue.

‘Libya is so hard for us. We are stuck. We can’t move on and we can’t travel back where we came from. That’s why we take the risk and cross the sea. This journey is the journey of life or death. A journey of no return’ says one of the lucky ones who was rescued by a boat chartered by Sea Watch, an NGO that patrols the Mediterranean and assists migrant boats in distress.

The accounts of the ‘journey of life or death’ told by so many survivors are equally harrowing. Overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, no food or water for days, struggling people driven to despair by exhaustion, dehydration and extreme temperatures combine with the gravest discomfort in cramped decks, sea sickness, storms and other adverse weather to test even the strongest-willed. Most journeys cover a distance of between 400 and 500 km to Italian and Maltese shores. SOS calls are systematically bounced between various European authorities and coast guards often resulting in them being ignored or actioned after an agonising wait. Many boats capsize or sink before rescue craft make their way to the scene.

Through the most recent deals with Libya and Tunisia, the EU has increasingly trained, financed and strengthen the unofficial coast-guards of the northern African countries to reach as many boats as possible. The unscrupulous so-called Libyan coast guard and Tunisian authorities unlawfully bring the migrants back to the place of abuse they had escaped from. Libya, a country that has been in a state of de facto civil war since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, is officially deemed ‘unsafe’ by international law, and interceptions violate the fundamental human right of non refoulement. Only 5% of the migrants leaving the North African coasts reach Italian or Maltese territory independently. The vast majority are rescued by the Italian coast guard and non- profits operating their own rescue missions to try and prevent more deaths.

‘They use Black people [people] to make money there. So if you don’t have the money you will have to die there or live in pain’ recalls another person rescued by a patrol boat in the Mediterranean. ‘The life in Libya is very tough, it’s by God’s grace that I’m still alive today. Because sometimes you go to work, you work with them and maybe they don’t want to pay you: they can take your life there.’

Non-governmental organisations carrying out search and rescue (SAR) operations have been a constant presence in the Mediterranean since 2014, seeking to fill the void left by the lack of state-organised SAR operations. The European Union, and especially Italy, are increasingly implementing stricter migration policies, essentially criminalising NGOs carrying out SAR activities.

February 2021, Mediterranean sea. Migrant rubber boat after its passengers have been brought to safety onboard the Sea-Watch 3. Between 70 and 80 people were crossing the sea on the overcrowded rubber boat, with limited water, gasoline, no gps nor satellite connection, no food and at risk of sinking for deflation or capsize.

After systematic cases of arbitrary seizures of the rescue ships and prosecution of crews, the recent practice of assigning distant ports for disembarkation, for example, keeps rescue ships away for days from the search and rescue area in the central Mediterranean where most of the emergencies occur. Despite the challenges, a number of non-profit organisations, such as Sea-Watch portrayed in this work, continue their tireless search and rescue activities at sea, in solidarity with the most criminalised: the people fleeing in search of a safer future.

Selene Magnolia Gatti is an Italian award-winning IFJ, NUJ freelance photojournalist based in Northern Italy and Berlin. Her work spans multiple issues, including questions of environmental and social justice, food production, migration, as well as gender related and contemporary political issues. She works on assignment and independent projects. Since 2023 she is represented and distributed by Panos Pictures. Raised in the Italian Dolomites, where she developed a strong bond to the natural environment, she has a background as emergency nurse, volunteer medical personnel in humanitarian crises, and academically qualified linguist, before shifting to and studying photojournalism. She has worked for a number of publications such as Der Spiegel, The Guardian, de Volkskrant, Il Reportage, Il Manifesto, amongst others. She also works for some of the leading environmental media agencies and a number of international no profits. Some of her photographic work on intensive food production is featured in the book ‘Hidden – Animals in the Anthropocene’, awarded ‘Photography Book of the Year’ by POY (2021). Her long-term project Zor, which portrays life in the biggest so-called ghetto in Europe, was exhibited at Perpignan’s Visa Pour L’Image photojournalism festival 2022. Her work was recognised by British Journal of Photography (2023), Siena Photography Awards (2022), London Photography Awards (2022), Prix de la Photographie Paris (2022), TIFA, MIFA, BIFA (2022), Kolga Tbilisi (2022), Global Billboard Project (2021), among other winning entries. She was selected for the Hamburg Portfolio Review in 2023. In 2023, she is the yearly Senior Fellow of WeAnimals Media Agency and a recipient of the European Environmental Journalism Fund grant for an ongoing project about the impact of factory farming.

Selene Magnolia Gatti
+4901634853065
selenemagnolia@protonmail.com
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