The Other Shore
Santi Palacios
The main migratory routes connecting Africa and the Middle East with Europe across the Mediterranean Sea—the western route linking the coasts of Morocco and Spain, the central route from Libya to Italy, and the eastern route from Turkey to the Greek islands—represent one of the most dangerous stages of the journey that thousands of people undertake each year to reach Europe from Africa and Asia.
According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 26,833 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean between 2014 and May 2023, a figure that only accounts for known cases.
The growing political debate within the European Union focuses on protecting external borders, paying marginal attention to developing effective strategies to protect the rights of those trying to reach the continent.
These clandestine routes, where so many lives are lost, are a succession of decisive, often chaotic and difficult moments: border crossings, departures, arrivals, waits, losses, and farewells. This photographic project seeks to capture moments of calm and reunion that occasionally occur at the precise instant when those who manage to cross the sea reach the other shore.
