The time has come to stop these tragedies

On the 24th of November, 27 people lost their lives in the English Channel. They were women, men and children. All were seeking asylum. They had put their lives at risk to find safety here, to discover that the sea had no mercy. If our policies are anything to go by, it seems that they might not have found much mercy either in France or the UK. When will this end? When will crocodile tears give way to action before people die? When will there be safe routes? When will governments put their hand-wringing after death into action before death? Right now, blaming everyone else and each other is not a solution. Together we must find a way to stop this.

Our lives are our story. We cannot choose how this story starts or how it will unfold. But we should be able to do more to make the ending better.  As an asylum seeker myself, I am shocked and deeply sad. How else must I feel when I see our brothers and sisters drowning in the waters between safe countries! We must change the ending of these stories if we believe that everyone has rights, and that we each have an obligation to one another, to seek justice for all.

Heartless smugglers are clearly part of the problem. They get rich putting desperate families into flimsy boats to face the high seas. But they are a symptom, not the cause. The cause lies in the hands of Governments in both the UK and France. Safe routes would avoid such tragedy overnight.

One solution, the Syrian resettlement scheme, proved the effectiveness of safe passage. Can we not expand this to give the opportunity to others at risk? Can not British embassies around the world offer humanitarian visas? Why is there no longer a scheme for family reunions? If all this is too hard, why can we not have reception centers in France so people can apply there instead of risking their lives at sea? 

There are solutions, but we do not look for them. We simply blame the smugglers and accuse desperate people of being benefit seekers. Surely we can do better.

It is not enough to apologise to the recent dead. They cannot forgive us for not doing enough to save them. But, if we choose, their lives can matter to us now. We can decide to stand together in their name to end these tragedies. 

Humanity is not about who has the power over who. It is a shared duty between all of us to take care of each other, to help each other and even to love each other. One day, each of us will need the help of another. Let us build a caring future together in a way that celebrates our differences. This will surely make us stronger.

KRAN Youth Ambassador Mohammed A.