Syrians protest at La Place d’Armes, Calais. Photo: Passeurs d’hospitalités blog.
Via Oxford Solidarity For Syria
This is a letter from Syrians currently stuck in Calais. This letter is written independently of any charity or political party. It comes from an independent group of people fleeing war and seeking for asylum.
Here is our message :
1. Statement:
There is an average of 75 Syrian citizens staying in Calais. They are living on 3 different areas : the Jungle, the Parvis and the Gate. None of them is currently asking for asylum in France.
2. Facts:
We consider that the path to reach England is extremely dangerous. We are aware of the risks that we take and we suffer the consequences. For instance, Mouaz was a young Syrian who drowned on the English Channel. Shadi lost the use of his two arms after a truck crash. We also have already been threatened by a truck driver who was holding us at gunpoint. We are very frequently beaten and gassed by French policemen. It is really easy to find videos showing such facts on the Internet.
3. Why England?
Firstly, because we speak English. The language is definitely the most important factor when it comes to start a new life abroad.
Also, we all have relatives and kinfolk in England.
In the end, we think the welcoming conditions are far better than in France. Indeed, the country of Human Right offers asylum but keep us living outside for months and months while England accommodates, respects the dignity and the physical integrity of its asylum seekers.
4. Dignity:
We claim for the right to dignity. We are not animals but human beings, and we demand to be considered and treated as such.
So, we wish to communicate with both English and French governments in order to find reasonable and reliable solutions for us to reach England legally and safely.
Now we wait the answer to this question: will you accept us in UK?
Links:
Audio interview in English.
La réponse des autorités Françaises aux Syriens à Calais: Gazage et évacuation par la police, 29 June 2015, Passeurs d’hospitalités.