A place of transit and refuge for many migrants on the way up north, or on the way home after failed attempts, the House of Migrants in Gao, Mali, is a cosmopolitan place, which strives to “rebuild” travellers in distress by offering them a listening ear, a roof, meals, and psychological assistance…. Among the daily comings and goings, in and out of the Sahel desert, is thirty-something Natasha, who’s been living here for 5 years, perhaps more. Today, she is waiting for a miracle to bring her back to a “home” she has no memory of. She has become permanent, after multiple attempts to leave for Eldorado, and the loss of her identity on the way. As her life unfolds in this protective place, migrants share tales of their heroic and sometimes tragic epics. It is also here that they become conscious of their trauma, and prepare for the return home. Their stories take the shape of a chorus of unheard voices. They are fragmented, yet deep and meaningful, they are political.

THE LAST SHELTER offers us an additional opportunity to make this fight for the recognition of similar injustices throughout the world our own, and to confront human rights violations. It is also an effective tool for building bridges between our different continents and shedding light on the Sahel region.