Voices in the Margins: A Reflection on the Refugee Crisis and Forced Shelter

Abstract

This visual essay analyzes the global migration crisis, focusing on the situation of refugees in Europe, who, according to the Geneva Convention, flee their countries due to fear of persecution. However, current asylum systems are ineffective, and international promises are not being fulfilled. The project “Voices in the margins” emerges as a critical response to this harsh reality, questioning the concept of refuge and proposing a shift in perspective towards refugees, seeing them as active subjects with rights. The central piece, Gold Tent, critiques the situation of refugee camps, places where migrants live in precarious conditions and indefinite waiting. This essay also highlights the tragedy of deaths at the borders, specifically in the Mediterranean, where thousands of refugees lose their lives while trying to reach Europe. Through the use of rescue thermal blankets with the names of the victims, the work seeks to honor the dead and denounce the dehumanization in migration policies. “Voices in the margins” is a call to action for governments and international institutions to take responsibility and build a more just future, free of exclusionary borders.