If We Say Nothing, The Story Stays the Same

It’s time to write something again!

I know that I haven’t been writing much on here recently. There are many reasons for that, and I’ll spare you most of them. Suffice it to say, sometimes I feel like I’m out of words, like another post about the migrant situation or the hurt that surrounds me won’t mean anything, that no one who doesn’t already share my viewpoint will notice or care.

I’m sorry for how gloomy I sounded just there.

The truth is, the situation in Calais is worsening. People spend much more time at the Maria Skobtsova House than they used to, especially in summer, and it’s become far more difficult for them to make the journey to the UK. 

Why is this, you ask?

Well, there are many reasons, some I can share and some I can’t. For one, the British government is increasing their spending in France. They have purchased boats, drones, and paid for extra police force to stop people within 300 meters from shore. This cost is, of course, passed on to the British taxpayer.

Another is the recent agreement between France and the UK to arrest people who arrive on small boats and send them back to France. Then, they say, they will provide opportunities for those who have family in the UK to immigrate safely. The first people have already been detained under this agreement; we’ll see if they hold up the other part of providing safe passage to someone else in exchange.

These efforts fail to take into account the resilience of the human spirit.

In fact, none of this is going to stop people from crossing. It is only going to cause them to seek more creative options and opportunities to cross. This will lead to taking greater risks, which, inevitably, will lead to an increase in deaths.

I really hope I’m wrong about that.

What hasn’t been discussed is the possibility of providing safe routes for people to claim asylum in the UK. I brought this up to Emily Buchanan on a recent interview for BBC Radio 4’s Sunday program, and she seemed to think I meant that people should be allowed to cross “freely.” But that’s not what I said, and I wish I’d pushed back on her statement more.

Rather, the only thing that will significantly reduce casualties of people crossing the English Channel is to provide some safe and legal means of claiming asylum in the UK. People’s claims could absolutely be considered before they’re allowed entry, and they could be taken to the UK safely when asylum is granted. This is only one possible solution.

But the politicians have been so good at changing the narrative around immigration, that these solutions are not even considered anymore. Rather they are doing what they always do: pitting the poor against each other as a distraction, so that they can continue enriching their billionaire friends.

We (I’m including myself in this, since my country is no better) should be ashamed of ourselves.

As for me, I’m not out of words. Not even close.

I intend to continue fighting for justice together with the people I serve, and working towards a world where people truly are judged by the content of their character, as a good man once said. A different world is possible, if we begin to look outside of our own circumstances.

Will you join me in this fight?