“Ninety Nine" began while I was walking along the coast of Cádiz in the area of Tarifa, Bolonia and los Caños de Meca, where I spotted the many small boats, as well as the remains of some of them, and started to take photographs.
According to the Associación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía, 99 deaths were recorded in 2021 of people trying to emmigrate in boats across the Straits of Gibraltar.
In that same year, 56,813 managed to arrive, while 2,216 were reported dead or unfound. In 2022, these figures were 34,537 and 1,901, respectively.
On seeing so many smashed and damaged boats, I asked myself how many people really lose their lives every year when trying to reach Europe, seeking to find a better life, and how would we fare if we were forced to find refuge in similar circumstances.
