A Limbo of Life and Death
- espritdecorpsproje
- 20 lut 2022
- 3 minut(y) czytania
Written by Giulia Spatafora
Calais, France. This city on the northern French coast it’s usually referred to as “the Jungle” by the migrants living there. In 2015, 1 million refugees found their only home in this camp, officially becoming a token of Europe’s migration crisis. Refugees were mainly from the Middle East, many were escaping the conflict in Syria deciding then to come to Europe. Today, the Jungle has gone but the migrants still remain. Years after the camp was demolished, 2,000 refugees are still waiting there, in the midst of a political crisis.
Several migrants were induced to move considering the cramped living conditions of the camp. Refugees are denied access to running water, electricity and a roof over their heads. On the French side, too, there is rising hatred against refugees. Some migrants are badly beaten by the police in Calais and struggle to walk, some stand shoeless, others shivering.
"The camps are a mess, living conditions are awful. Many tents at makeshift camps had been broken in raids by the authorities and there was little sanitation”
In a survey of 402 people at the Calais “Jungle" camp, researchers from the International Health journal found only 12% wanted to remain in France, while 82% planned to go to England.
“Our routine is the same every day and every night. At midnight every night we wake up and try to cross the Channel. ”
It is widely believed that the main reason why migrants decide to leave France is because they have a connection to the UK, they have family, they have friends and in addition they speak some English. Whereas some migrants state that they wanted to come to the UK due to historic links with their own country, as they are poorly treated in France.
Although the UK government plans to punish asylum seekers who cross the Channel with a jail sentence and a ban on receiving state funds, several migrants have still attempted to cross the Channel, only to be found drowning trying to reach the UK. Migrant small boat crossings from northern France to the UK are at record levels (approximately 1,000 people every weekend risk their lives knowing that only half of the migrants will make it to the UK).
“I do not know what I can do now. I can’t go back and I can’t go forward. There is a lot of racism in this situation. We need to find peace. If we have no peace we have no life.”
Refugees are hopeless and as they voluntarily seek to gain illegal entry into the UK, they appeal to smugglers who assure them the provision of a service, typically transportation. The stakes are high and the Channel crossings ended tragically for dozens of migrants, whose vast majority drowned. The deadliest crossing on record occurred on 25 November 2021, 27 people, entrusted to smugglers, drowned (including children and pregnant women). And yet, refugees attempt to cross the Channel regardless. Dangerous and unseaworthy boats are being used to smuggle people across the Channel to the UK from France. They are death traps as they were purpose-built for smugglers.
"They are likely being manufactured and sold online for the sole purpose of being used for people smuggling. Unbelievably, these gangs continue their deadly trade with more crossings taking place today, shamelessly putting lives at risk." - NCA (the National Crime Agency)
In this troubling scenario, The Esprit de Corps project aims at making a change within our community in an attempt to tidy up the urban scene. Firstly, we wish to spread awareness about issues that must be addressed, such as the refugee crisis. And secondly, by collaborating collectively we intend to directly help the refugees living in Paris. We are planning language teaching sessions, online campaigns and webinars as well as in-person events and we will implement these measures as soon as possible depending on the COVID-19 situation. Help us make a difference, by starting with a small initiative and ending with having a big impact.
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