Since March 2022, we have been continuously present as an association in Ukraine (especially in Lviv), first by bringing humanitarian aid and guaranteeing safe passage to Ukrainian civilians fleeing the war, and then with a health support project in the formal and informal refugee camps, following over a thousand people a week.

It was in this context that we met Alexei Shemet.

Alexei, a Russian citizen (but most of his family are Ukrainian, like most people living on the border between the two states), lived with his wife and three children, all of whom have Ukrainian citizenship, in the town of Sumi on the Russian border. His family fled at the beginning of the war and joined his wife's mother in Carpi, where he has been working for several years and has wonderful connections throughout the city.

Through various contacts, he heard about our work in Ukraine and contacted our staff in Carpi, who informed the association of Alexei's situation.

Sumi was under constant bombardment and, as a known Russian citizen, he was in constant danger of being targeted by both the civilian and Ukrainian police forces, to the extent that he was afraid to go out to do his shopping and thus had no possibility of working and supporting himself economically.

Following the attack on Russian territory in neighbouring Kursk, the situation in this part of Ukraine has since deteriorated sharply. Alexei feared for his life every day.

So we organised a safe passage for Alexei, took him to Lviv and accompanied him to the border where, as a Ukrainian resident with family abroad (without the restrictions for Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 who do not have citizenship), he was to be granted massive temporary protection and thus the possibility of reaching Italy and obtaining an ad hoc visa for the duration of one year, which could be renewed.

So in January this year we crossed the border with Alexei on board and after several hours managed to convince the Ukrainian border guards of Alexei's position and his right to reach Italy. There was great anger and frustration when the Polish border guards refused to acknowledge his right in any way. Without any respect for the person and his plight, and after all our attempts, they repeatedly threatened Alexei, who decided to turn back.

The denial of a right cannot be accepted by any of us, especially in the name of a border, an imaginary wall used to divide people and claim that one person is inherently different from another. Alexei, with a Ukrainian mother, does not have Ukrainian citizenship only because, with cousins in Russia and a permanent residence permit in Ukraine, it was much more convenient to keep his birth citizenship.

Mediterranea acted immediately and, together with Alexei's family, started the process of family reunification. This involves, firstly, a nulla osta from the single immigration desk of the prefecture where the family resides and, secondly, the issuing of a visa by the embassy of the country of origin.

The procedure was very long and complex, unfairly cumbersome and repetitive. However, thanks to the commitment of everyone, starting with the municipality of Carpi, it was possible to obtain the nulla osta, which guaranteed Alexei the possibility of going to the embassy in Moldova (which replaces the embassy in Kiev due to technical difficulties), where he can also enter with a Russian passport, to collect his visa.

On 16 September, a Mediterranea mission left Pescara with two minibuses loaded with humanitarian aid. In Lviv, it met with our partners, maintained those relations and links that are increasingly a fundamental element of our presence in Ukraine, and, after being joined by Alexei, headed towards the Moldovan border.

After several hours, questions, fears on the part of all, tensions and open racism on the part of the border guards, on Friday 20 September at 10 a.m. Alexei managed to enter Moldova, where he received his visa on Wednesday 30 October (after further vicissitudes and aggravations).

We welcomed him in Italy on Saturday 2 November, knowing that all this should not be, that the arming of human identities is the greatest folly and the child of the will to power of the few and not the will to life of the many. That on this identity and difference we have built conventions, called borders, where we have impaled, killed, suffocated, drowned other human beings. So we will always be there, at sea and on land, to remove brick by brick from this blood-soaked wall.

We would like to thank the Embassy in Kiev for its readiness and especially Consul Moser, Elisa Nobler from the CGIL for her help with all the paperwork, the Parish of Carpi for supporting the trip in every way, Alexei's family for keeping the commitment and hope alive even in the most difficult moments, the whole wonderful Mediterranea community for tearing down the walls that bring death brick by brick, for doing great things with the little each one can give.