Sanctuary : noun:
In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined the notion of asylum, backed up by the 1966 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Everyone has the right to be allowed to claim asylum according to these international laws, of which the UK and much of Europe are signatories. Within them, the concept of "refoulement" - of pushing back, rejecting, without giving a person to right to claim asylum - is seen as inhumane and illegal. Yet this last month saw the death of two boys, killed on the road in Calais as they gave up on the Waiting for Godot hell of asylum application when nothing happens and nothing happens and nothing happens. It is effective refoulement. Making it as hard as possible (we have a Hostile Environment Team in the UK to do this - ahh, makes you proud to be British, doesn't it) so that people stop trying. Chris, working in Calais in the same time as Ruby, had this to say. I don't see that as sanctuary. These are human beings, no heroes, ordinary people like us who are being forced to stay in intolerable conditions. How, I wonder, would I behave?
1 Comment
11/3/2019 05:57:21 pm
I did not know that things like these still happen in UK. With a very hotel environment, I don't think staying there is pretty advisable. No one wants to suffer that way when the only thing they want for their lives is to live. I may not be completely familiar with Godot hell of asylum application, but one thing is for sure; no one desires to die from doing it! Hopefully, we could all learn from it.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorAs creator of this website, these are my own thoughts, representing only me, and no-one else. Manda Brookman. All links lead to a range of groups who are autonomous. Archives
February 2018
Categories |