Memories from the ‘invisible city’: migration traces at the French-Italian border of Ventimiglia

Since the reintroduction of border control at the French-Italian border in 2015, the town of Ventimiglia has witnessed an increasing number of migrants who are deemed illegal in the eyes of the current EU migration system. These people have been blocked or slowed down in their attempt to continue their journeys. This article examines around 120 drawings and writings left by migrants in Ventimiglia at the ‘Eufemia’ InfoPoint opened by Progetto20k, a collective that provides support to migrants attempting to cross the border. By reflecting upon these migrant experiences, the present work offers a unique perspective of undocumented movements to and through Europe. Such empirical material is invaluable in order to supplement the debate on ‘migration traces’ along international illegalised migratory routes. Through the analytical lens of ‘migration traces’, this work evidences the complexity of migration narratives from a bottom-up perspective. It also highlights the need for said perspective to challenge the dominant representation of undocumented migrants, perceived merely as threats and ‘objects to be governed’.