As the economy continues grim, you know it always hits the most vulnerable of us hardest. We should put more effort into caring for those, like refugees, who have no cushion or safety net at all. Instead we put less.
When people are bundled into numbers and crowds of statistics, it is easy to abstract them. When they are represented by nothing more than piles of file folders, each containing a paperwork of suffering, pain and loss, it is easy to treat people as though they do not matter. Even when a human being is standing before you, if they come in a long procession of horror stories that must be dealt with in a limited time, then they are easy to send home to an uncertain and possibly deadly future.
The Guardian’s most recent story by Esmé Madill brings this to life. It rescues one story from among so many, a frail and mentally ill woman trying to find a lawyer to represent her. She failed. Partly for lack of an interpreter who spoke her dialect. Partly due to the fact that the Refugee and Migrant Refugee centre was recently forced into administration, putting an even heavier burden on lawyers and organisations already struggling to support a vulnerable and poor community. There is no money in support, unlike what can be made in apprehending, incarcerating, processing, and transporting this vulnerable community.
Knowing where people are coming from can help. Knowing about the UK’s convoluted immigration system can also help. Getting involved to change things will of course help even more, just click on the Act Now tab on any of the film pages to find out more.
