My involvement in now what is known as “Stalingrad 3.” a refugee camp in the Paris, just under the viaduct of metro station Stalingrad, has thought me several things; and I would like to share those just to promote awareness on this refugee crisis and give an another perspective on our “city of lights”.
On the middle of political turbulence, new laws and elected government, refugee issue is still present and impossible to ignore. It is becoming more political and tangled into very loud protests that are happening right now in Paris, around Place de la Republique. There is this mass of people, students, workers, form all social groups, opposing the unwanted “loi de travail”, a new law brought recently by elected government, that is affecting the right of the workers. Paris has it’s beauty, history, art, that something that made him incredibly enchanting, that attracts millions of people every year. But it also has a very strong scene of politicly active, socially conscious people, willing to act on every injustice, any violation of human right. They are loud, annoying, all-present, unstoppable, armed with cellphones, cameras and social network. They are willing to occupy public spaces, to cook for more than 100 people, to share, to help each-other and anyone in need.
I have to acknowledge the incredible role of social network, primarily of Facebook, that has turned out to be the best way of communication and connecting among many groups. Very ordinary people, from all over the Europe and further, would become volunteers, political activist, helpers, just by joining a group, adding a friend, connecting. Every incident, every situation is filmed and posted, shared; every need, cry for help, disasters call was also there, easy to see, to respond, to act on. I am sure Zuckerberg didn’t have this in mind, but it sort of just fitted the interest and need of many.
Paris has won me over by its people. I see them every day at Stalingrad metro, bringing food, water, blankets… They are there for refugees, they keep them alive, they feed them, look after their needs, their health. Of course, there are several grassroots organization involved, but the people are mostly self motivated, well organized individuals that share the same interest, ethic, and are willing to act. As much as the French administration system is failing to deal with refugees and provide them with help they need, French people are doing the opposite, and they manage to “patch up” every overseen case, individual, that has been failed by the system.
I’ve been in Paris for a while now, and I have to admit that I can barely understand the complexity of French administration. They often don’t separate in the process of applications refugees from any other immigrant, expat, and therefore fail to acknowledge the urgency and conditions of their status. They are sent from one desk to another, from France Terre d’Asile to Prefecture, from OFII to Emmaus, and often kept in the state of constant movement, even when they are provided with some sort of housing.
The life of a refugee is a difficult one, and It doesn’t get much easier even when they are in the system. Many of them are placed in periphery of the city, often without access to basic facilities, unable to provide for necessities for themselves. Families with children are the most vulnerable. People living on the streets are the same ones that are waiting for the interview with the authorities responsable for approval for their refugee status. They come from many different countries, not only Syria, there are Afghans, people from Sudan, Somalia, Eriteja, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and many others. Their position is brought to even more complicated and therefore dangerous state by lack of efficient organism in EU, in France that would take on solving this crisis . Instead, they are tangled in paperwork.
This process, from first visit to Terre d’Asile, to the final approval of the status, it takes months. France has very good laws when it comes to protection of immigrants and asylum seekers, but their applications in practice is somewhat problematic. Overlooked by the system, exhausted by their past suffering, they are forced to deal with daily problems. Food, housing, medical care – it is all a problem.
Without self organized volunteers, they wouldn’t have anyone to turn to for help.
Stalingrad is one of the refugee camps that sprouted in Paris during February this year. The refugees gathered and placed their donated tents, sleeping bags, carton boxes, believing that if they stay together they will have a better chance in protecting themselves and their families. And that sort of works. There presence and number makes a very visible political pressure on local authorities, and it forces them to act. Just on this location, on metro Stalingrad, there were already organized and put in act two evacuations – and that is how they named an action of “instant housing”. It usually looks like this: after several weeks of creation of camp that is placed on visible public space, and after engagement of many volunteers and political activist, decision is made to remove the refugees and asylum seekers to a previously arranged place that should provide them with temporary housing. Very early in the morning, police with several representatives of authorities arrive on the place, together with buses, backup, medics, and a cleaning crew. Usually it starts around 5AM and the boarding of the refugees lasts for next several hours. They are divided in groups, taken into buses and driven off to some destination that could be anywhere in Parisian region – Ile de France. The entire process is a bit brutal, but usually there are volunteers that help with coordination. They also manage to calm any conflict, they translate, reassure and encourage that mass of people to get on the buses and take the offered, temporary home.
The role of volunteers is enormous, their presence changes not only the behavior of the police towards the refugees, but also keeps away any right orientated, violent groups and individuals that could seriously complicate already difficult position of the refugees. Still, conflicts are present and aggression and fights are not easy to avoid. Lack of food, clothes, sleeping bags, and psychological trauma that is very common in those living on the streets creates a tension that occasionally escalates into violence. Insecurity, fear and very hard conditions are main reasons for those fights. People are agitated, on the edge and even a smallest dispute can end in a brutal and violent behavior. Still, this is not the true face of refugees, they are just people not much different that any of us, with same emotions and reactions. Putting this side of a refugee camp in the media, presenting them in trough those incidents could only have a negative impact on their future.
Trough my engagement in this refugee crisis, I have met many of them, and I find them to be outstanding, brave and skillful people that were forced to leave their homes only to avoid death and prosecution.
I would really like to present those people who are standing behind the dirty tents. The necessity of rebranding the image of refugees is not only crucial for their acceptance and integrations, it is also important for us, how do we see them, treat them, what choices could we make in our relation towards them. The perception of the refugees shapes us as much as it does affect them.
Recently I have seen a film of German production, by…, and its rough translation would be” He is back”. It is a science fiction drama with elements of documentary film, and with a lot of humor and satire it puts in a spot a raising pro fascist and nazi tendencies in todays Europe. What are we becoming, what we could be, what mistakes of our recent history we could repeat…
We are on a historical crossroad and decisions we make today, in this very particular situation, are the ones that will deeply affect our future and society. How we treat the refugees will define who we are. This can’t be a choice of one individual, or some group, this concerns all of us.
I can only hope that in fifty years from now we can look back at this time without regrets, shame, or apologies. I hope we can do the right thing, and save ourselves – from the mistakes that we have already seen in past – by saving refugees.
Danica Jurišić is artist and volunteer, living in Paris.
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