Rows of tents have been pitched next to a disused railway track in Grande-Synthe in northern France, as people there told The Independent they dreamed of having a safe life in England. Some had even tried to cross the English Channel several times, but ended up back in France after their attempts failed due to issues with the boat or being stopped by police.
Pleas for safe routes to England have been renewed after the deadly shipwreck earlier this week, whose victims included at least three children. At the campsite in the Dunkirk suburb yesterday, a young man from Iraqi Kurdistan made the same appeal.
“Why does England not take people? People wouldn’t die after,” Asir said. “If England takes people, everyone lives and has a safe life.” The 22-year-old asked why England could not put on a bus or flight to help people desperate to reach its shores.
He has already tried three times to cross the Channel, with his boat failing the first time, the engine breaking the second, and police turning them back the third. But Asir – who wants to go to England as he speaks the language and whose brother lives there – is ready to try again when he can.
This story is from the November 27, 2021 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the November 27, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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