THE MOST TROUBLED JOURNEYS: THE REFUGEE AND MIGRANT CRISIS

With the refugee crisis gaining more prominence with every year that goes by, Kit shares her view on dangerous Europe sea crossings, as well as highlighting opportunities for students to help.

We hear so much in the news and online about the refugee crisis that it’s easy to become desensitised to the sheer magnitude of it all. Although at the start of 2022 it may have felt as though the war in Ukraine had brought the issue closer to home, by the end of the year the millions of refugees fleeing their home country had become just another statistic.

It certainly is true that Ukrainian refugees have significantly inflated the number of refugees in Europe, which doubled in 2022, whilst the number of those internally displaced rose to 9 million. The total figure of those forced to flee their homes across the world (due to conflicts, fear of persecution, or violence) now stands at over 90 million.

It seems that there are new conflicts every year to add to these statistics, while ongoing crises have yet to be reigned in. A crisis in Europe that seemed to begin with the Syrian civil war now encompasses conflicts in Sudan, Afghanistan and, of course, Ukraine, amongst countless others.

Received wisdom amongst many in the

UK, and in other European countries, is often that refugees are seeking to remain in their host country indefinitely. Return intention surveys conducted by UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) suggest otherwise and found that roughly one-third to one-half of refugee populations express a willingness to return to their home country in the future. The UNHCR estimates that if lasting peace in key conflicts were achieved, global refugee figures could halve to around 10 million.

Whilst conflicts continue to arise each year, migration also continues to rise. The route from Lviv in Ukraine to Lublin in Poland has joined the British Red Cross’ list of the most common asylum routes in Europe, which also includes Tunis to Sicily, Paris to London, Izmir to Dubrovnik, Damascus to Beirut and, of course, the English Channel.

The issue at the heart of the matter is not just the decision to make these journeys is heartrending

- refugees often leave children behind or, alternatively, send them on alone in desperation - it’s that the routes are not only arduous, they are very often deadly.

Since 2014, when the number of migrants to Europe began to surge, over 2 million people have attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea. This crossing is now considered one of the most common migration routes into Europe. It’s also one of the most dangerous. Of those 2 million who crossed in the last 9 years, at least 25,000 people are missing and presumed dead. Often, the bodies are never found, and families on either side of the sea are left waiting for news of their loved ones that never arrives.

In the last few years, the inherent danger of sea crossings has been compounded by many European countries doubling down in their efforts to prevent so-called ‘illegal’ immigration (although, in the case of asylum seekers, there is no such thing). Authorities in Greece, under the governance of the anti-immigration New Democracy party, elected in 2019, have been employing ever more violent tactics (known as ‘pushbacks’) to prevent people crossing into the country.

Although this reduced the Eastern Mediterranean attempted crossings, people did not simply go away. Rath- er, they moved to more dangerous Central and Western Mediterranean routes. The Eastern route remains by far the least popular route across the Mediterranean, when once it was the most common. By consequence, more people are dying year on year attempting to get into Europe. In 2021, deaths along unauthorised immigration routes were the highest they’ve been since 2017, just after the height of Europe’s ‘Migrant Crisis’. local events to help refugees settle into the local area, as well as taking part in national campaigns.

It’s not just Greece taking a hardline stance on immigration. With the new Nationality and Borders Act, which became law on the 28th April 2022, the UK is also aiming to reduce the level of protection and support available to those who arrive in the country irregularly, particularly with the introduction of a two-tier visa system.

The Law Society suggests that the Act may be incompatible with UNHCR’s 1951 Refugee Convention, which enshrines the right of refugees to not be returned to a country “where they face serious threats to their life or freedom”.

As deaths mount in the Channel year after year (one estimate suggests that over 80 people have died whilst trying to cross the Channel since 2019), this is work that is particularly pertinent here in the UK. “Our Home Secretary admits that we provide no safe and legal route to the UK”, Millie points out. With safer routes in place, “deaths could have been avoided” she believes. All these overwhelming facts and statistics can easily make us feel powerless to change the situation. That’s why the SU officers for Community and Sports (Daisy Forster and Sean Nolan, respectively) are launching a joint fundraising and volunteering campaign called Active for Asylum Seekers.

Whilst these routes and crossings may still seem far away from our front door, there are ways to get involved in supporting refugees here on our campus. Impact spoke to Millie Adams, president of STAR society (which stands for Student Action for Refugees). This group is “a national, student led society that’s dedicated to making the UK a more welcoming and understanding place for refugees”.

In the face of an increasingly hostile environment in the UK, where even after surviving traumatic and dangerous journeys, refugees are still faced with “an inefficient asylum system, hostile media, inhumane detention centres, a lack of integration, and are denied the right to work”. STAR runs

Much like Movember, societies as well as individual students will be able to participate as much or as little as they would like. STAR, for example, is planning to run an event in Wollaton Park, the campaign is modelled on the British Red Cross’ “Miles for Refugees” goals. That means you can choose to run, swim, cycle or even climb the length of one of their most common asylum routes across Europe and the Middle East (the English Channel, previously mentioned, is 22 miles long, a perfect individual challenge).

Not only will completing the challenge help get you moving and raise some money, it can also help us begin to understand the arduous routes faced by so many across the world with no other choice. If you’re not the sporty type, or you want to stay involved after the challenge is over, Millie encourages you to look into STAR’s activities on and off campus, such as their weekly Women’s Classes, as well as participation in national campaigns.

Millie is hopeful that with more students getting involved, things can change - working together “ to challenge the harmful narrative created by the government”.