by Megan Denton

By Megan Denton

Refugee crisis ~ what refugee crisis?

By Megan Denton Image: Chloe Redston

For more information on the refugee crisis and how you can help: https://www .refugee-action .org .uk/heres-can-help-refugees/ https://ideas .ted .com/8-practical-ways-to-help-refugees/ https://www .careinternational .org .uk/fighting-poverty/building-resilience/supporting-refugees

The Refugee Crisis” was the daily headline for almost a year. When the headline changed most people assumed that the problem was solved. The truth is far from that. Last year 68.5 million people were forced to leave their countries due to violence, war and persecution. They travelled for months in illegal or dangerous ways just to escape the hell they lived in. In 2017, 3,100 immigrants drowned in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean alone. That is just a small part of one ocean. Imagine how many die all over the world. There are countless reports in newspapers along the lines of “Venezuelan refugees feared drowned en route to Trinidad” but we feel fleeting pity and continue with our lives. There is all sorts of media coverage but it is rarely positive. Everyone sees so many conflicting stories about these vulnerable people until people rarely know what to believe. Politicians often say that “the migration crisis threatens to destroy the EU” but, in reality, migrants will be the ones to save the economy from collapsing. Migrants and refugees are willing to do the bare minimum to survive. They will take the jobs that most people do not want and see as beneath them. People fail to realise that someone has to do these jobs to keep countries running. When migrants come and find a space to help build themselves up again - even if it is as a fast food worker - they are more grateful than any of us will ever be to get the job of our dreams. They do not want our homes, money or jobs; they simply want to escape. Currently, there are frequent protests about the environment and women’s rights, which will have a huge impact in the future, but they do not have an impact on the here and now. It will not change someone’s life tomorrow and it will not prevent a country from being destroyed. Refugees do not want our sympathy; they want peace of mind and freedom. They want not to have to worry about deception, safety and family. Millions of people are all telling the same story, fighting a common enemy who came from within. Since the headlines died out, the problem is pushed to the back of our minds and we keep going with everyday life. The book ‘We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled’ by Wendy Pearlman has snippets from hundreds of interviews from refugees. One such account is from a lady named Bushra, who talks about how excited her daughter was to leave the refugee camp: “After living in a tent, she was amazed by the real walls and real floors. She said, ‘Take a photo of me next to the wall!’” Everything that is taken for granted is a novelty for them. When reading Pearlman’s book, you have to keep reminding yourself that it is real. “There’s nothing to protect us. No state, no government, no law, no human rights. Animals have more rights than we do” states one refugee called Safa. It seems very similar to ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ but it is not fiction for them. It is everyday life that has to be endured and countered for them to keep going from day to day. It also shows how everything that was once familiar is now gone, emphasising how bad it really is. There are no functioning hospitals, no sense of order or democracy. You feel constant fear for these people but it is not true fear. It is the fear that springs up when a character is in danger. It does not seem true. Pearlman’s book also discusses two different points of view to the one the media and newspapers show the country: it tells the story of the terrified victims of this tragedy, who are seeking new life and also, the perspective of those on the other side. As we hear the tale of those in the military or the government, we realise that they are not really the bad guys. Mostly they are in the military for self preservation. It is fairly well paid and provides protection for you and your family, unless you turn against the government. People are also scared of what might happen to them and those they love if they step out of line. For the majority, it is safer to just put up with the destruction of their country than try something new. The people that go to seek help are incredibly brave. They often make the journey alone as they have no remaining family or face the challenge of leaving family behind in a country of suffering. In March 2012, the Syrian government issued travel restrictions for military aged men preventing them from leaving the country without reason. Some were allowed to leave if they had proof of studying abroad but not many justifications were accepted. Almost everyone took their military service so as not to face the consequences but reports show that 20-30 officers defected to Turkey each day. They chose to serve another country over their own, proving how corrupted Syria was at that time. Each one of these people are fighting their own course, fighting for their own freedom. Imagine the day the headline states: “Refugee crisis over – the dilemma has passed”. That will be the day when all of these people can sleep peacefully in a place that they can now call home. Then we as a nation will know that we did a good job, we did what was needed and got the greatest outcome. Yet no-one does anything. Everybody waits for someone else to make the first move. Any one of us could be the first. So, be the one to help those people who need our support.