Mattea started her academic journey in fine arts in Hamburg, unaware it would lead her to fight against border regimes. She pursued Middle Eastern studies and Peace and Security, volunteering as a cultural mediator and translator for sea rescue organisations in the central Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. This path led her to engage further in diverse projects, including civil evacuations from Afghanistan, and holding various positions within sea rescue organisations.

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As a board member, Mattea represented Civil-Fleet, an infrastructure for various social movements on migrant justice, from the fund’s founding until early 2023.