Immigration or humanitarian crisis?

[vetran]

They aren't refugees, they're migrants.

If they were refugees fleeing terror they would have claimed asylum in France, or whichever safe country they landed in.

you aren't allowed to call them migrants anymore, I wish someone would slap these well meaning idiots.

The difference between a migrant and refugee, in one sentence - Europe - World - The Independent

As Daniel Trilling, editor of the New Humanist, tweeted later "in some quarters, the word 'migrant' is shifting from meaning 'a person who migrates,' to 'not human.'"

Katie Hopkins however needs Dante's attention:

This year, Katie Hopkins, likened migrants to "cockroaches" in a column published in the Sun newspaper.

this seems to explain it:

Consider this definition used in the Institute of Migration's glossary, for example:

"The term migrant was usually understood to cover all cases where the decision to migrate was taken freely by the individual concerned for reasons of "personal convenience" and without intervention of an external compelling factor; it therefore applied to persons, and family members, moving to another country or region to better their material or social conditions and improve the prospect for themselves or their family."

This definition stands in clear contrast to the 1951 Refugee convention, which defined a refugee as someone who:

"...owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

"Put simply, these definitions say a migrant chooses to leave, whereas a refugee is forced to leave."

Now if you look at this case it seems they were refugees into Turkey but migrants to Greece.

[fullyautomatix]

there is lot you can do, first stop encouraging them to come to Europe by dangerous routes. How do you think we do that?

Next make sure they have a safe place near their home country so they can go back & rebuild when the fighting stops.

Its a world problem, we need to sort it as a world. We need the people of the world to demand its sorted.

I think you should stop reading Dailymail for a change.

[vetran]

I think you should stop reading Dailymail for a change.

why would it change the facts of this case?

[Chuck]

It's all moot anyway. Germany will give citizenship to the refugees and migrants it takes in and they will then be free to bring their families in and travel and settle anywhere they like within the EU.

[OwlHoot]

It's all moot anyway. Germany will give citizenship to the refugees and migrants it takes in and they will then be free to bring their families in and travel and settle anywhere they like within the EU.

Another urgent reason for the UK to leave the EU ASAP

No doubt this angle will be thoroughly aired in the weeks leading up to the referendum

(assuming Spoonface doesn't find some way of bottling it - Remember, he promised a referendum only "while I remain prime minister", and he is on record as saying he wouldn't be standing again after the present term .. )

[meridian]

It's all moot anyway. Germany will give citizenship to the refugees and migrants it takes in and they will then be free to bring their families in and travel and settle anywhere they like within the EU.

It appears that the family were attempting to emigrate to Canada, but apparently have no passport due to Kurds not being recognised as citizens in Syria. And that there are potentially 2 million refugees with the same non-status.

So if Germany and Europe starts issuing formal identification documents, how do they know who they are issuing them to and in what name(s)? And what guarantees do we have that applicants are not from ISIS?

[darmstadt]

A small group of us are planning to drive down to Calais in the first few days of Oct, we will take supplies to the refugees, also donations, anyone interested in driving with us, or just donating (either money or supplies) please PM me.
So far we have 2 cars and one van, lots and lots of people interested in helping and donating, if you have a car and would like to come that would be greatly appreciated.

A small report from: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/calais-aid-run

I went to Calais with no expectation. Full of fear that the atrocities I had seen in the media might be correct and that the people there were in fact the monsters that that have been portrayed. Was I self entitled and feeling guilty? Perhaps. Was I scared that I was leading other people to believe that there were good people in the jungle and I might be wrong? Maybe. Was I full of hope that everything above would be overcome by the reality of the plight we would encounter. I hoped so.
My visit to ‘The Jungle' in Calais - As we arrived on the dunes and saw the camp for the first time I couldn’t help but feel shocked…. It is a vast expanse of tarpaulin and structures that are similar to slums. Shocking and disorganised to the naked eye. There was that fear again - ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ ‘Have we made a massive mistake?’
Driving in didn’t feel any better. We couldn’t get hold of our contact and had nowhere to drop the thousands of pounds worth of goods we had received in donations from friends. There were Refugees surrounding our truck asking what we had and if we could give them any shoes or sleeping bags. I felt scared and unprepared.
As we were devising a plan, we saw a British lady walking around, not a care in the world, laughing and smiling - A sigh of relief…. We got out of the car and asked for some advice.
‘Hi, I’m Liz! welcome! How are you? Where have you come from today?’
Liz gave us the contact of a man named George, the head of a charity named ‘Salam’. He and his wife Claudine have dedicated their retirement to helping the refugees coming in to the jungle and we were able to make an arrangement to meet them and drive to their deposit centre to drop our donations and make a plan for the next day.
Having slept and returning the next day we saw a very different picture…. The initial fear and anxiety we had ashamedly built from our own prejudice, melting away.
As we drove down the very same road, smiling faces and greetings came from all around us. ‘Hello! Welcome to our home!’ again and again. Those same curious faces didn’t seem so menacing after all, the menace was inside of us it would seem.
We drove down to Salam to organise donations of food. Each bag receiving 4 cans of mixed food - tomatoes, tuna, beans, rice, tea, milk, salt, and other items. We made 500 bags in total (The jungle currently has over 3,500 Refugees) and around 500 loaves of bread (France have an incredible policy that all food left from supermarkets must be donated to charity)
There were two planned dropping points - The first in the Afghanistan part of camp and the second in the Sudanese part of the camp. As soon as we arrived we saw people sprinting from all directions, desperate to get one of the packages. It was chaotic, we were screaming these people in to a line so the van wasn’t overcome. These people who have nothing. Proud people from their own countries. Doctors, electricians, carpenters all vying for the same goal - A meal.
My heart broke as we drove away, hundreds of desperate faces looking back at us because they didn’t run quite fast enough to make the drop off. Still waving and saying ‘thank you'
The second drop was far more calm. A better established part of town. As a man ate a croissant he looked at me and said ‘You have a kind heart. Thank you’
My heart broke again - I know nothing of kindness in comparison to his words. The compliment was all his.
Our next task was dinner service. The French Government supply 2,500 meals per day which equates to one meal for two thirds of the current inhabitants at the camp. I watched as at least 3,000 people queued at the singular dinner line from 1pm. Dinner starts at 5pm.
Dinner was cous cous, sausages and veg served by us in tiny portions. Every single person I served at that dinner line was utterly grateful, chatty and smiling - regardless of the fact it was now hammering rain and they were soaked and starving. They all looked at me with the eyes of ‘is that all!!’ but not one of them questioned it unless in jest. They were just grateful.
There was one man who really sticks in my mind - He was dignified and important, I could see that, yet here he was. He said thank you all the same but behind his eyes was devastation. Incomparable devastation.
Over the next two days we did more volunteer work. clearing litter in the camps, more distributions and sorting, Taking supplies to mothers/children and pregnant women, dinner services, first aid on the horrendous injuries we encountered - yet all of that pales in to insignificance in relation to the people;
There are things in that place that I have never been fortunate enough to encounter until now; Prevailing hope where all is lost, happiness in the face of aversion, a non-judgemental attitude even when pushed, a community spirit and pride in nothing and everything.
Within the confines of what is seen to be chaos and destruction, there is order and peace. Several countries unifying as one, Mosques and churches in the same space, small restaurants and shops, architecture, a school and a library for the children. A neighbourhood of people searching for a better way of life because they were forced to flee from their own homes.
I spoke with just two people hoping to claim asylum in England, the others I spoke to were seeking asylum or were already in the process in other EU countries. Contrary to belief, the £39 per week benefit system in the UK isn’t the driver for this community, the majority just want safety and a job.
Asylum can take up to two years in any country with no work offered in the interim so the jungle is a place of safety whilst they wait. It is their home. their desperate and beautiful home.
Interestingly, a person can’t claim asylum in the UK, regardless of their status until they set foot in Dover….. That can only be achieved by committing a crime in itself.
The 8 year old girl who had known more pain than I could ever imagine - She taught me French whilst translating English to other children in her native language. She laughed and played with us like she didn’t have a care in the world.
The man who I gave first aid to on a serious wound, who’s family are in England because he made them safe first.
The pregnant woman who prayed that her family aren’t dead.
The man walking home from the trains with 4 breaks in one leg because he lost all of his family in his country and wants to prove he can succeed in another.
I commend you.
I thought I knew pain, loss, fear, courage and appreciation. I know nothing in comparison to the people I met on our short stay to Calais.
The camp will be particularly needing volunteers over the winter. Do get in touch for details if you feel like you want to help.
xxx
We are now fundraising towards our second trip which will take place in November 2015. Please feel free to donate to the just giving page below and carry on sharing if this post resonates with you.

[FatLazyContractor]

there is lot you can do, first stop encouraging them to come to Europe by dangerous routes. How do you think we do that?

Next make sure they have a safe place near their home country so they can go back & rebuild when the fighting stops.

.

And you think that really happens?!

Most of them want to settle in EU.

[The Spartan]

And you think that really happens?!

Most of them want to settle in EU.

Well they need a mechanism to ensure that they have to return to their country of origin once it is declared as safe, they could ensure that if a country decide to take on a quota refugees that they're excluded from qualifying for citizenship and other things.

[vetran]

And you think that really happens?!

Most of them want to settle in EU.

If we help them get rid of the nutters and rebuild as a first world country why wouldn't they want to go back? That is the target. Gotta be better than them running AtW's local takeaway.