Crossing...

 

"Crossing", a word charged with so many meanings and feelings when you are in Calais.

I'm here lying comfortably in bed at a friend's house in London, the preferred destination of most asylum seekers who are desperate to cross.

A lot of them have already risked their lives to arrive in Calais from places as far as South Sudan. Many come with money gathered  sacrificially from all the savings from their communities and families, expected to be paid back once they start their life in Europe. 

Others might get involved in the smuggling mafia to pay back and still others get themselves into prostitution, slave work and other horrible ways to get money to pay the mafia.

My crossing was as simple as cycling behind cars, showing my passport at both border controls, the French and the British, which was straightforward as I carried a "good" passport and had already the ETA(electronic transit authorization) that I applied online and received the approval the following day. I didn't even have my ticket yet, I just bought it straight as I came in to join the car queues. I paid 35€ for me and my bike.

A person who has no papers or passport will pay around 3500€ or more, and it might involve several trials until they get safe to the other shore. I heard just before leaving that one of the mothers, with 5 children was going to make another attempt that day too, over night most likely. It was quite emotional just the thought of it, and I could only pray for their safety, despite the end result. 

Again I was very aware of all my many privileges, seating comfortably in a huge ferry boat that carries people back and forth all day long, and watching the Calais shore staying behind while I was approaching the shore in Dover, UK.

I am very grateful for this time waiting for my passport. Even though frustrating at times I was always feeling there was a reason for me to be there at that moment. I do acknowledge it was the time needed for me to see some of the many complexities of this human drama that is migration today. This systemic crisis that doesn't have good  answers on how to respond to so many people's desires or vital need to escape the countries they were born into.

Europe ( and North America might be similar or even worse) seems like a castle of queens and kings who want to surround themselves with very high and thick walls so nobody comes in, especially those in need, as we don't seem to be willing to share, even our excesses and wastes. 

There is an unexplained sense of scarcity, that there will not be enough for everyone, especially coming from people that in fact live with difficulties and under financial pressures to pay bills, raise their children and offer them a good education. And why is this the case when there is so much excess and even waste? Maybe because the capitalist system wants people to believe there is scarcity, when there is really not. Bad distribution? Yes, but there is plenty if the distribution systems would be fair and if all the waste would be reused and channeled to those in more vulnerable situations.

The problem arises, I guess, when within the castle there are some peasants also, who do not live so well, or they can barely make a living. They have no access to any help, as this system is also individualistic, so you need to fight for it on your own, and earn it with your hard labour, otherwise you are rejected by the others. When these "peasants" see other people from the outside being welcomed in and even receiving things that they cannot get it or afford it, that's when a sense of injustice arises, and all the violence and hatred against illegal migrants escalates. Again, as I said in other posts, I don't think the reaction should be against another human being, but the system that, in the first place, is not looking after their own, properly and fairly. This should change, in my opinion, but instead, it is used to fuel propagandas against migration that a lot of times are untrue.

Giving all things away for free might not be the best approach either, as that is creating spoiled or lazy people that have no encouragement to do anything to receive what they need. That in itself takes away some human dignity and purpose within the society they're in. It is a good ethic to work in a community for our own needs. 

We know that the world has more than enough for everyone's need, just not enough for everyone's greed, said Mahatma Gandhi in his wisdom.

 

Anyway, I know all these questions and all the impressions I got in this time will continue to be processed in my mind and heart. Now I am on the other side and will hear other stories I'm sure. I already know the violence and hatred against those who are crossing is unfortunately escalating and fueling the right wing parties' agendas and propagandas against migration.

I still didn't know when my passport would come, but on Wednesday I felt to leave the house in the morning and look for some place wild. I needed trees and forest, so I looked at the map and located the biggest forested area I could find around Calais, and saw one about 30 km away. I cycled first to a place near the post office to wait until 11.45am and get news from the post lady. When she told me it would not come that day I started to pedal.

It was so good to be on the move again, and as I was going more into the country and farming areas, I could see a smile growing on my face.

Then I got super excited when I saw the forest and a sign to be aware of wild life. I will gladly be aware of that... Immediately when I entered the forest I had to stop and admire, and give thanks to all those majestic trees, Oaks, Chestnuts and others that formed that ecosystem, and to the humans who keep it that way... I saw on the map that there was a chapel and I was curious to see it...

What a perfect place for a chapel, in the middle of the woods, a simple shrine under massive Lime trees (Tília Cordata not citrus lime), with 2 benches in front of it. Definitely a place to find rest and solace to those who need it. It has a funny name, but I didn't know the story behind this XVI century shrine to "our lady of the 3 chairs"... Interesting name... 

I just needed to lye down under the tree and soak in that presence that I was missing so much, and that's what I did...I even fell asleep until some kids arrived on their bikes. I had enough rest anyway, so I came up from the floor and sat on the bench. The kids were up to something in the woods, maybe trying to build a shelter or something. They must be local as one of them went to get a tool or something and came back quite quickly. It was nice to see young people having fun in the woods, and I wish more would do the same instead of being locked inside houses with their phones or games.

I needed water and there was no source to be seen anywhere, so I went to a village on the other side of the forest and I came back to find my place to sleep.

The lake I saw on the map at the edge of the forest was nice, but was only for fishing and there was a few fisherman there, so it didn't appeal to me. Besides that, it was too noisy with the road traffic. The woods kept calling me back and there I went.

I have to ignore these kind of signs, but I obviously enter with respect and you would not even notice I was camped after I left. I understand the signs as many humans today simply have no consciousness or no respect for natural environments, so I don't feel any guilt breaking these kind of rules. That's part of my definition of Anarchy that I'm a fan of. When we are conscious and responsible citizens, we should not need governments or enforcement of laws that are either not helpful and without any sense. Unfortunately, human kind is far from that maturity, but I hope we re heading that way.

I went more of less to the middle and found a perfect way in, where I would not be visible from the road. First I saw a water hole, so I thought it would be amazing to see wild life who comes to drink. I also knew from the map that a bit more into the woods was a big pond of sorts, but I didn't want to look for it as I didn't need water for the evening. I moved a bit away, but not so much, between two massive Oaks. The canopy was so tall, without side branches that I only recognize it was an oak from looking at the trunk and it's bark. I felt very welcomed and at home immediately.

It took me very little time to stretch my hammock with the mosquito net and I was ready to lie down. I was about to change the side where I would have my head and I heard a sound walking on the crunchy leafs that covered the whole forest ground.

It was a deer. Possibly young, and alone. I held my breath and remained as still as I could in my changing position. He or she didn't see me at all, so it was perfect. S/he went to drink water, then circled around the hammock until the other side. Only when I tried to make the full turn so I could have a better view s/he must have heard me and just started to run away with little jumps here and there as they do.

That was so special and meant a lot to me. Again, as I leave the human settlements, the wild life comes to me, and I to it.

I woke up with a thought and it's worth not to dismiss it. It might be hard to digest, but I think it's important for me to share.

What if a big number of people, like the ones seeking refuge, would find this place and make it into a settlement? 

It would have been most probably an environmental disaster. The wild life would be surely gone, the water sources possibly contaminated with chemical produce or other pollutants. The little saplings that are growing to replace the big trees would be crushed or removed. Plastic would come in, in all shapes and forms, from tents, emergency blankets, food packaging, etc. Human poo and pee would probably not be planned or organised and therefore a contamination problem or disease could easily spread throughout the camp. 

This is not a "migrant problem", or a specific culture problem, this would happen if any big group of urban people would have to run away and find refuge in a natural ecosystem. Most people would not know how to behave or look after the place and one another.

It's hard enough to educate people in Rainbow gatherings (click Here to know more about this anarchist hippie gatherings if you're interested), nevermind people who find themselves in circumstances where there is no other way. 

Unfortunately, the majority of people who are on the move today, they have little concern or awareness of their impact in the environment or the sustainability of natural systems.

The nomads of old days, and today there are still some, would move back and forth in Eurasia, or in any other continent, and they were very conscious about the ecosystems they would inhabit temporarily as they knew they would depend on them for their living. They would have seasons when they would go to certain places, like some shepherds who still move with their herds today, and they would move along to allow the ecosystems to regenerate. The following season they would return and have the same amount of food and pasture for humans and animals. 

There are very little groups of people today who are real nomads. A few millions spread out in the most remote places in the planet that most of us know very little about.

The ones we call "nomadic" today in Europe, might include some remaining gypsies, some hippies or now the new fashion of "digital nomads" who are still so far from the real existing nomads who are facing a real crisis to their lifestyle. Global warming is affecting the ecosystems they depend upon and the growing urbanisation and extraction is taking good and fertile lands, water sources and polluting or destroying both of these essential sources of life.

These modern "nomads" are more like travelers who are still very dependent on the established capitalist system that supports the exploitation of human and natural resources and the unequal distribution of wealth. Some might think they are living out of the system, but they are also taking advantage of it, and could not make a living without it.

Migrants are far from being nomads in any sense. What we see today is in part dislocated people because of wars, dictator regimes or persecution, and possibly most of them want to come to Europe for economic reasons only.

I've already shared on my other posts that most of the asylum seekers are not only looking to get away from their birth countries, they are also seeking the "American Dream" which was actually a desire created by the Europeans who went to colonize America. The irony. We went looking after wealth all over the world and we manage quite well to exploit natural and human resources everywhere, but we don't like when others are now wanting to come here to chase a bit better conditions than in their home countries.

Migrants today are exposed to the extreme wealth and abundance that Europeans have, and they just desire the same. That exposure might have been from Europeans who live in their home countries in much better conditions than themselves, or from what they saw on TV, on the World Wide Web or now on smart phones... The illusion of this broken dream comes uninvited through all these screens that spread out everywhere in the world... then we don't know how to respond to people who are naturally chasing it.

There is hardly no consciousness among most urban citizen in Europe of the environmental impact of their lifestyle, and there will be for sure no consciousness among those who come to Europe to seek the same lifestyle.

Anyway. I will stop here as my mind just goes on and on trying to see solutions that would be fair to everyone.

I think I will end repeating Gandhi's words:

"The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not enough for everyone's greed" 

And this goes for European citizens and for all migrants who chase the same illusion of money and financial wealth.

That morning I woke up and cycled back towards Calais. At the end of the morning I had a message from the post lady saying the letter was in Calais and was going to be distributed that day. I went to literally stand next to the post box and after an hour or so the postman arrived with my passport.

I pass through the house of hospitality in Calais and had a last lovely chat and conversation about all these issues with the 3 volunteers. We spoke about the Mount of Oaks as well and I'm really hoping they go there to volunteer and God knows what else that is ahead of us. It was surely not just a coincidence that our paths have crossed.

I went to the port and the next ferry was leaving in one hour. I joined the queues and followed all instructions. I got to Dover and went straight to the train station to go to London - St. Pancras. From there I just had to bike 5km, pass London bridge and get to my friend 's house. So much in one day, and now I really hope to not have to get any other train.