The way forward is the civil society

This article proposes a reflection on the question highlighted in the title of this volume: what is the way forward to ensure the protection of human rights in the Mediterranean today? The article recalls the experience of civil society organizations in migration management and in the protection of human rights in Italy, in the last few years. Who are civil society organizations who mobilized for receiving and integrating migrants in Italy during the recent increase of migration flows? What are the reasons behind their mobilization? This article reports the experience of lay and religious-based organizations, such as Refugee Welcome Italy, Sant’Egidio, Caritas, the Waldesian Church, who have been extremely active in Italy in the last three years in support to hosting and integration measures to assist refugees. In the conclusions, the article advances the idea that the reason for civil society activism is a stand against the effects of governmental incapacity to manage increased migration flows in Italy since 2015 and against the recent government-led immoral and ruthless anti-immigrants policy. In this perspective, a possible way forward to ensure the protection of human rights in the Mediterranean is the strengthening of the civil society.