44.764 NAMES

It's hard to celebrate #WorldRefugeeDay in Europe when death and despair is what fleeing people can expect on its borders. So instead, we commemorated the 44.764 lives lost, we mourned, we #SayTheirNames.

Commemorating is not fun. And commemorating 44.764 human beings, who died young and mostly healthy, who could have lived, who were often left to die on purpose, even less. But we did it.

You cannot change what you cannot see. Together, we have shed a light on one of the biggest injustices of our time. Seeing is the first step towards recognition, restoration and redemption.

For now: thank you all so much, for everyone involved, for everyone who cares. Because of you, 44.764 is no longer just a number. It is a tragedy, a crime.

Let's continue to commemorate and to #SayTheirNames. Until it's no longer necessary.

Small Artin, who drowned when he was 15 months old in the Channel. His body washed ashore in Norway after 7 months at sea.
Four people, names unknown, who died of hunger and thirst on a boat close to Canary Islands.
129 people, names unknown, who drowned near the coast of Libya. They had begged for help for two days.

And 44.630 others.

#SayTheirNames #MigrantsMatter #WorldRefugeeDay #savelives


Many thanks to XY Actiefonds, Wij Doen Mee & UNITED for Intercultural Action - campaign office Fatal Policies of Fortress Europe - unitedagainstrefugeedeaths.eu - facebook.com/UNITEDAgainstRefugeeDeaths -listofdeaths@unitedagainstracism.org - unitedagainstracism.org