Is there room for them in our inn?

Mon 21 Dec 2015, 16:29

Written from Calais last week by Louise Edwards, who lives in Mold. As refugees fade from the news bulletins and TV screens, the situation is actually getting worse. Worse in Calais and Dunkirk, worse on the Greek islands and in Athens. The bodies of dead babies, children and adults washing up daily and nightly on European beaches is no longer news. Unbelievable? Believable.

Calais Camp 17.12.2015

Thursday saw three vans of aid travel down to Calais, two from Share in Flint with blankets, sleeping bags, tents and warm clothes kindly donated by our local communities. A special thank you to Aidan Coleman and his driver Jed whose collections of aid from St Peter's church in Holywell helped fill the second van. The third van was filled with food donated through a Muslim charity called 'Serving Humanity.'

Our donations were delivered to the refugee support group Care4Calais run by Clare Moseley, John Sloan and their fabulous team of volunteers. Just over a month ago they acquired a much needed storage unit in Calais, easily accessible from the port and tunnel and not far from the camp.

Upon arrival, we quickly unloaded and then reloaded the vans with blankets and sleeping bags to be distributed in the camp that afternoon. Each van went in to the camp with a team of 7 volunteers. This is how many people it takes to be able to distribute aid in a way that is civilised, dignified and safe for all. It was wonderful to see the strong emphasis all volunteers placed on treating the refugees with dignity and kindness. The conditions that they live in are far from dignified and there is little kindness shown in the inhumane ways they are treated by the huge police presence around the camp.

Our van was very quickly emptied as men of all ages patiently queued to be given a blanket. As always, it was a humbling experience to be amongst a group of people who have experienced such hardship. Hardship in their home country, during their long and exhausting journey north and upon arrival at a place they believed held the prospect of a better, safer life. Many of these mens' faces expressed a deep sadness, an understandable sense of hopelessness and despair. Yet others obviously remained hopeful, smiling as they waited, and all shared their gratitude for the small item of warmth we offered them. I admire these men so much for being able to retain a sense of a hope, whilst living in a place where they are so clearly not wanted.

After the distribution Sam Mantache and I took the opportunity to spend some time walking around the camp. We both struggled to find words to describe the experience. It felt like being in a movie set, it was so totally surreal. Even though we were there, even though our feet walked through the mud, our eyes saw the flimsy tents and buildings, our ears heard the sounds of police sirens close by, our noses caught the smell of poor drainage and our hands shook those of the people we met - it seemed unimaginable that people, human beings just like us, actually lived in this place.

As we walked we watched other volunteers hard at work. Clare Moseley was busy delivering special boxes of aid to the tents of the most vulnerable and later we saw her handing out gas canisters to be used for cooking. Others were bringing building materials in to the camp to help create more stable structures than the flimsy tents that we saw everywhere. Some volunteers manned the First Aid caravans and others were helping out in the kitchen areas to prepare food for the evening.

A few 'shops' and 'cafes' lined the streets of the camp. Refugees who have a little money to spare have found a way to supply their fellow refugees with basic supplies. In other areas of the camp a library has been set up and one area is designated to 'Art in the Jungle'. We saw signs of creativity around every corner, symbols of hope, expressions of a desire for peace and unity.

Sadly we also saw a huge construction site, set right in the middle of the camp. It is believed that this is to be a huge 'Detention Camp'. It's hard enough to see the suffering endured in the camp already. It is harder still to imagine all these people, being formally detained and deprived of their basic human right to freedom.

It seems to me that these brave people are asking us for so little. They simply want the opportunity to live and work in a safe place - they haven't come to 'scrounge', they haven't come to attack or hurt us. They have so much to give, so much to offer, if we could only stop being so fearful and see the good that would come from welcoming them rather than rejecting them.

I cannot imagine what courage it must take to leave your home, your friends and your family, not knowing what risks lie ahead of you on your journey to find safety and peace. Yet the unknown of what lies ahead has to be more appealing than what they leave behind.

Through conversations with refugees on Leros and in Calais, it's clear that no one makes this journey lightly. I have met grown men who are dentists, doctors, teachers, engineers, physiotherapists....they have been unable to work for years because of the bombing and attacks in their home countries and have struggled to find money to feed their families. Eventually, after much consideration and heartbreak, they make the decision that it's better for them to leave, to find a country that will welcome them in the hope of bringing their families to join them, than it is to stay and risk the very real prospect of death.

We at Share will continue to collect and send aid to support the refugees in Calais and in other areas of Europe for as long as it is needed. The refugee crisis continues to grow and the media in the UK is failing to show just how huge a crisis it is.

The response to the photo of the little boy washed up on the shores of a Greek Island months ago was huge. There are now bodies of women, men and children being washed up on those same shores every day! So why isn't this being shown in our newspapers and on our TV sets?

Please don't think because you don't see it that it isn't happening. It is. Now more than ever, refugees need our help. Our government has made the decision to bomb Syria yet fails miserably to offer support to the Syrian people who understandably continue to leave their country in search of safety. Those that end up in Calais are seen as a threat, as an inconvenience, as a group of people to be detained rather than supported.

They depend on fellow human beings like us to offer them compassion and to show them through our actions, no matter how small, that they are not a forgotten people, that their lives matter and are as important as ours.

Please help us to help them. No one person can change the world alone, yet we can each do something small and together make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and please feel free to share it far and wide. The general public perception of the refugee crisis is not necessarily an accurate one. I don't pertain to know all the facts, all I do is share my own experience in the hope that it sheds some light and truth on a situation that without more compassion shows no sign of improving.

My warmest wishes to you all,
Louise