National Day of Remembrance and Welcome

A day established so we never forget

The National Day of Remembrance and Welcome is celebrated every year on October 3rd in Lampedusa, in the municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa, in the province of Agrigento, at the southernmost tip of Sicily. The commemoration was established by Law 45 of 2016 to remember and honor all victims of immigration and to promote awareness and solidarity initiatives.

The date is no coincidence: on October 3, 2013, just a few miles off the island's coast, a fishing boat packed with migrants of Eritrean and Ethiopian origin capsized and sank, causing the death of 368 people. That tragedy deeply shook the Italian and European conscience and, driven by the Comitato 3 Ottobre, gave rise to a permanent mobilization to ensure that memory does not remain a rhetorical gesture but becomes a civic commitment.

A week of meetings on the island

More than just a ceremony, the Day has evolved over the years into a major educational and civic event spanning several days. Hundreds of students from Italy and various European countries arrive in Lampedusa to take part in workshops, meetings, creative activities, and round tables. The most intense moments are the direct dialogues with witnesses: shipwreck survivors, families of the missing, young people who have crossed the sea, humanitarian workers, and representatives from NGOs and United Nations agencies.

The days address the most urgent issues related to migration in the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on the right to identity and justice for those who died nameless. This context also includes the work of LABANOF, the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology, which is dedicated to collecting testimonies and identifying victims.

The march to the Porta d'Europa

The symbolic climax of the commemoration is the march to the Porta d'Europa, the monument overlooking the sea that honors those who lost their lives seeking a new hope. The procession moves in silence and deep emotion to the monument, where a floral wreath is cast into the sea in memory of the victims. It is a sober and powerful gesture that concludes the day and reaffirms Lampedusa's role as a symbol of welcome in the Mediterranean.

Lampedusa, frontier and symbol

Lampedusa and Linosa is the southernmost municipality in Italy, closer to the African coast than to Sicily. This geographical position has made the island, despite itself, one of the main gateways to Europe and, at the same time, a place of profound significance for those reflecting on themes of welcome and solidarity. Every year, the Day of Remembrance and Welcome transforms this corner of Sicily into a point of reference for the entire country.