The (in)visibility of solidarity struggles and refuge in the Linguistic Landscape of the Italian/French WesternAlps

Abstract This article looks at the (in)visibility of solidarity struggles and refuge in the Italian/French Western Alps borderland through the study of Linguistic Landscapes in this space of transit. Drawing from critical migration studies and in particular critical border studies, it focuses on two terms/concepts, ‘solidarity’ and ‘refuge’, which have come under scrutiny in recent years in Europe following the so-called ‘migrant crisis’ of 2015 and the more recent criminalisation of solidarity ( De Genova & Tazzioli, 2022 ). Under the lens are graffiti in the public landscape and signs and drawings in the private Linguistic Landscapes of refuges providing solidarity for people in transit.