SOS MEDITERRANEE / Camille Martin Juan
Bastien is a logistician in the operations department at SOS MEDITERRANEE. He alternates between missions aboard the Ocean Viking and office work in Marseille. With ten years of experience in humanitarian work, he reflects on his journey.
At 29, Bastien is one of three logisticians whose life is split between missions aboard the Ocean Viking and land-based work. For nearly a decade, he has been working with displaced people. His interest in migration started in 2015 and led him to work in the “Jungle” of Calais, where he conducted an in-depth analysis of the self-managed camp.
At that time, SOS MEDITERRANEE was preparing to launch its operations at sea. Bastien immediately wanted to be part of the project but wasn’t sure how he could contribute. Initially, he wanted to work abroad but soon realized there was much to be done in France. He first joined the Refugee Forum in Lyon as a social and legal worker, where he assisted individuals with their asylum applications. Subsequently, he pursued a master’s degree in Solidarity Management, which enabled him to intern in Greece—first in Athens at a day center for unaccompanied minors and then in Lesbos with Lighthouse Relief, where he worked on spotting boats in distress, assisting at a transit center, and finding people on isolated shores.
After returning to France, Bastien gradually assumed responsibility roles in various NGOs, including the Red Cross as a mission coordinator for Ukrainian refugees, and later, he embarked on a mission to Niger with Médecins Sans Frontières as a logistician.
Bastien has been working with SOS MEDITERRANEE for nine months, alternating between the office, where he organizes orders and maintenance of equipment, and onboard, where he ensures that all departments have what they need when they need it. When survivors are onboard, he organizes various activities such as the laundry station, the barber shop, and the food distribution. Between duties, he entertains survivors and crew with magic tricks using playing cards.
Bastien thrives on the diversity of his daily tasks, enjoying the interaction with different teams and continually learning about new aspects such as protection-related topics, SAR techniques, and communications objectives. He is keen to expand his knowledge of the maritime world.
In his free time, Bastien enjoys being in nature, hiking, traveling in his van, and paragliding from mountains.
