The Border Memory project was launched by Collettivo Rotte Balcaniche, an Italy-based collective of activists and volunteers that has been supporting people on the move stranded at the eastern borders of Europe since 2018.

Over the past years, on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, we have dedicated ourselves to the search and rescue of people in distress during their journey, addressing emergencies and preventing pushbacks. In these operations, we have encountered dozens of cases of border deaths and missing persons—individuals whose contacts were lost during their journey and who have never been found, sometimes for weeks, months, or even years.

We have witnessed the difficulties and struggles of families trying to identify and recover the body of a son or brother—seeking at least the right to mourn. But we’ve also seen the endless grief of not knowing the truth: futile searches, unanswered questions, and the deliberate attempts by authorities to conceal the facts.

The Border Memory project stems from this desperation and anger. It is a search for answers that should be rightfully provided, but also the beginning of a collective struggle to ensure there will be no more border deaths. We believe that sharing individual sufferings with others in the same situation, and with those in solidarity, not only helps us face these hardships but also becomes collective strength and action.

This project was born from the need to never forget the dead and missing, to build a collective counter-memory of borders—of institutional violence, but also of the resistance of those who challenge it and fight for their loved ones.

Border Memory is focused on tracing cases of the dead and missing and activating searches, while building cross-border solidarity alliances in a common struggle. The website includes two forms, translated into many languages, for reporting the disappearance or death of a person.

For now, our actions are mainly focused on Bulgaria, but we hope to expand the project to the entire Balkan region, building a broader network. Border Memory is an open and collective process that seeks new collaborations.