While migration crises regularly make the headlines in France and across Europe, the issue of immigration has become a subject of major political tension in the run-up to each electoral meeting.
We saw this recently in Sweden during the general elections in September, but also in Hungary, Germany and the Netherlands, where governments are coming under increasing pressure from far-right parties. In Italy, the government of Giorgia Meloni also opts for very strict measures, particularly in the context of negotiations on the European pact.
The specter of an “invasion” of immigrants from Maghreb countries and sub-Saharan Africa is often used to fuel a feeling of fear and hatred towards these “others from elsewhere”. This was particularly the case during the events of July 30, marked by the massive influx of more than 50,000 migrants trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Between political tension and migratory distress
As everywhere else, the discourse around immigration has become less complex, in the process evacuating the central question of humanitarianism. The immigrant is frequently designated as the source of all evils within societies whose leaders have lost the bond of trust with their populations.
Certainly, the picture thus painted is not rosy. Yet hope remains one of the fundamental dispositions that define us as human beings. It must not make us lose sight of our ability to hope and change things for the better.
For illegal immigrants, the crossing proves extremely dangerous, risky, even fatal. Once arrived, their quest is only the first step in a long journey, punctuated by administrative constraints and daily difficulties in the host country, starting with the language barrier. Added to everyday material challenges are permanent uncertainty and the absence of clear perspectives.
The meeting between a lonely retiree and a young survivor
Ingrid Chabbert and Sébastien Portet, aka Espé, published Un Espoir Sans Papiers by Éditions Dupuis[1], a poignant comic strip that taps into the depths of our humanity. In this work, the French authors strike hard and true, without artifice, to depict reality as it is.
The story follows Ahmed Bouzine, an Algerian miner and sole survivor of the sinking of a canoe off the coast of Charente-Maritime, on the island of Aix. He is taken in by Sidonie Delahaute, a lonely retiree who confuses him with her son Daniel, who has been missing for years.
A fleeting tranquility
Sidonie protects Ahmed from the outside world and comes back to life thanks to this unexpected return: “There has been a wind of tenderness since your return, my little one…if you only knew how good it is” (p. 25).
Ahmed’s freshness brings immense joy to Sidonie, even if the latter sometimes seems overtaken by the ramblings of age. Even if Ahmed is unable to project himself into the future, he strives to make himself useful in this home where hope is once again allowed.
However, this sweetness of life is quickly swept away by the harsh reality. Caught by the law, the characters see their peace shattered and find themselves separated by the authorities. The story quickly takes us into the twists and turns of a relentless administrative machine.
Hit hard, fair and without artifice
Ingrid Chabbert, who has already signed significant works in the past[2], once again succeeds in shocking us through a story which depicts the social condition of the characters which evolves over the course of the ordeals. The character of Ahmed greatly matures. Despite the challenges, he never forgets the one who reached out to him when he needed it most.
For its part, Espé’s drawing[3] succeeds in bringing out the full range of emotions of the characters, skillfully immersing us from the intimate atmosphere of the island to the settings of the big city. Finally, we will salute the remarkable coloring work of Aretha Battistutta, whose choice of colors provides a beautiful visual coherence from the beginning to the end of the story.
Reda Benkoula
[1] An undocumented hope | Ingrid Chabbert (Scenario), Espé (Drawing) Aretha Battistutta (Colorist) | Dupuis | 2026 | 104 pages
[2] Ingrid Chabbert published The Giants, To Scare, Paper Friends, SOS Animals in Danger, Rosamée, Amy for Life!, Elma, Constance and the Shadows, Hair on the Paws, A Dino on the Board, Waiting for Bojangles.
[3] Espé is the author of Châteaux Bordeaux, The 3rd Eye, Destins, The Territory, A Family at War, Living is Dangerous for Your Health, The Parrot, The Col de Py, The Island of the Righteous, The Sunday Leg of Lamb.