Calais camps, crucibles of desperation and suffering in the heart of Europe. It is the epitome of the failure to see the need for concerted action in all Europe for which refugees and migrants are paying with their lives.
Doctors of the World has been working with vulnerable migrants in Europe for many years, providing them with essential medical care while advocating for their right to health. We are present at every stage of their journey, from conflict zones to Greece and in Calais.
Those who make it to Calais are trapped in squalid living conditions on a disused refuse tip. Outbreaks of illness caused by these terrible living conditions are commonplace; trauma exacerbates people’s fragile mental health. Adding to this are the injuries and anguish caused by regular violence from police and people smugglers. And yet, as the only humanitarian medical organisation in Calais, it falls to our volunteers to pick up the pieces of Europe’s broken asylum system.
This situation would not be accepted in any other refugee crisis in any other part of the world, where internationally agreed standards for the provision of aid and protection are applied.
The French and British authorities offer only misguided help, focused almost entirely on security measures, which fails to address root causes and only intensifies the rejection and dehumanisation of vulnerable migrants.
Bridges, not disproportionate and dangerous security measures are the answer.
Seeking asylum is not a crime. Migrants are not a security risk. They have not come to occupy Europe or to get medical care. They are simply, desperately, seeking a dignified life. In fact, migration drives economic prosperity and social and cultural diversity. It is an asset not a threat.
Reception and protection mechanisms which are commensurate with the scale of the problem must be put in place, and quickly. Europe must assure asylum seekers safe passage via effectively implemented ‘legal corridors’. Resettlement schemes must be extended and every effort taken to reunite separated families, especially in the case of the unaccompanied children we see in places like Calais. They have particular assistance and protection needs, which must be met since they are always at risk of violence and exploitation.
Europe has a long, laudable history of seeking to end chronic poverty globally and in meeting humanitarian needs during armed conflicts and after natural disasters. Calais should not dilute Europe’s reputation and track record for principled humanitarian action.
The governments of Europe need to act with courage. They must stop piling migrants in to squalid camps and detention centres. They must lead with the principles and values that define the common European endeavour: humanity, dignity and respect.
Calais could be the bridge back to the Europe we stand for – open, hospitable and healthy.
This article originally appeared as: ‘Europe’s Refugee Crisis: Bridges, Not Fences, Are the Answer’.
Courtesy: Commondreams.org