On the occasion of World Refugee Day, a group of the Community of Sant'Egidio from Belgium went to Calais, where thousands of young refugees and displaced people have been living on the border in dramatic situations for months and sometimes years. They come mainly from Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan, hoping to catch a chance to reach the UK.
Living conditions in Calais are appalling. People sleep in small tents or in the open. There are families and unaccompanied minors among them.
Comfortable and sturdy shoes, sleeping bags and food parcels were a welcome support for these refugees. Just as was the 'warm' gathering, concluded by a joint volleyball match.
Faced with these young people, trapped in their condition as refugees with no place to land, the need for Europe to tackle the migration issue in a serious and responsible manner is even stronger.
Sant'Egidio proposes safe and legal routes, humanitarian corridors especially for vulnerable war refugees. Temporary legal migration for work purposes, as well as a greater commitment to fairer economic relations between North and South and to the peaceful resolution of conflicts are among the proposals recently presented by the Community.
