Migration is a fact of life. We have always and will always seek better opportunities in life, trying to find well-paid work, new possibilities to better use our skills, and a better living standard, or just for exploration, education or for love. Therefore, we will always look for opportunities to change our lives either by migrating to the nearest town or another country where the place can give us better chances to grow.

However, not all are able to leave their country by choice. Some are forced to take long journeys in search of a safety they do not enjoy at home.

In May, the world was shocked by the news of the Rohingya refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea without food and drink drifting in no specific direction because they had been evicted from their place of residence and were not allowed to land in any of the  neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Furthermore, they were given no special assistance.

Rohingya refugees are a distinct, Muslim ethnic group, the majority of who live in Myanmar (Burma). There they are subjected to forced labour, have no land rights and are effectively stateless. This has been going on for decades, since 1974 when the Ne Win government officially denied their citizenship in the country but recognise other 135 different ethnic groups. Over the last 3 years, more than 120,000 Rohingya have migrated and 25,000 already migrated in the first quarter of this year based on info from the UN refugee agency.

According to BBC News reports, at first, four neighbouring countries were reluctant to accept them and the authorities pushed them out to sea. However, recently, Malaysia and Indonesia has allowed the refugees to land on their shores. 627 individuals were helped by Indonesian fishermen, who stepped in to help. Recent reports claimed a total of 3,200 have landed safely, however at the point of writing, the United Nations estimate that 1,200 people are still stranded at sea and their location remains unknown. The authorities are afraid that soon they will see boats with dead body landed on their shore as these people has no food supply on their boats.

As the Rohingya's have been expelled from their country of residence, they are not only travelling the sea route, but also by land.  The world was shocked by news of mass graves found at the border of Malaysia and Thailand. According to The Guardian, it is feared that the graves are the Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants who were at the centre of human trafficking crisis. Malaysian Newspaper reports mentioned that 100 bodies had been discovered in the north of the country, and the authorities believed they are the corpses of the refugees who were detained against their will.

I believe neighbouring countries whether developing or developed countries must not see this as a crisis in which the arrival of the refugees is seen as a burden on their economy, but should be viewed as a humanitarian issue which every corner of the world needs to work together to address, including the refugees’ country of origin. Start asking yourself, where’s the humanity when refugees are expelled from the country they were born and raised, because of the political interest in eliminating "unwanted" ethnic groups while this expelled community has nowhere to go because no one wants to help them.
So we to imagine if we were the victims of this situation and there was no shelter or place to go? We are in the era of globalization that is moving towards development and modernization. So how does this happen?

I believe each and every one of us should look at the situation as human beings and start helping those in need.
 

Migration is a fact of life. We have always and will always seek better opportunities in life, trying to find well-paid work, new possibilities to better use our skills, and a better living standard, or just for exploration, education or for love. Therefore, we will always look for opportunities to change our lives either by migrating to the nearest town or another country where the place can give us better chances to grow.

However, not all are able to leave their country by choice. Some are forced to take long journeys in search of a safety they do not enjoy at home.

In May, the world was shocked by the news of the Rohingya refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea without food and drink drifting in no specific direction because they had been evicted from their place of residence and were not allowed to land in any of the  neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Furthermore, they were given no special assistance.

Rohingya refugees are a distinct, Muslim ethnic group, the majority of who live in Myanmar (Burma). There they are subjected to forced labour, have no land rights and are effectively stateless. This has been going on for decades, since 1974 when the Ne Win government officially denied their citizenship in the country but recognise other 135 different ethnic groups. Over the last 3 years, more than 120,000 Rohingya have migrated and 25,000 already migrated in the first quarter of this year based on info from the UN refugee agency.

According to BBC News reports, at first, four neighbouring countries were reluctant to accept them and the authorities pushed them out to sea. However, recently, Malaysia and Indonesia has allowed the refugees to land on their shores. 627 individuals were helped by Indonesian fishermen, who stepped in to help. Recent reports claimed a total of 3,200 have landed safely, however at the point of writing, the United Nations estimate that 1,200 people are still stranded at sea and their location remains unknown. The authorities are afraid that soon they will see boats with dead body landed on their shore as these people has no food supply on their boats.

As the Rohingya's have been expelled from their country of residence, they are not only travelling the sea route, but also by land.  The world was shocked by news of mass graves found at the border of Malaysia and Thailand. According to The Guardian, it is feared that the graves are the Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants who were at the centre of human trafficking crisis. Malaysian Newspaper reports mentioned that 100 bodies had been discovered in the north of the country, and the authorities believed they are the corpses of the refugees who were detained against their will.

I believe neighbouring countries whether developing or developed countries must not see this as a crisis in which the arrival of the refugees is seen as a burden on their economy, but should be viewed as a humanitarian issue which every corner of the world needs to work together to address, including the refugees’ country of origin. Start asking yourself, where’s the humanity when refugees are expelled from the country they were born and raised, because of the political interest in eliminating "unwanted" ethnic groups while this expelled community has nowhere to go because no one wants to help them.

So we to imagine if we were the victims of this situation and there was no shelter or place to go? We are in the era of globalization that is moving towards development and modernization. So how does this happen?

I believe each and every one of us should look at the situation as human beings and start helping those in need.

Migration is a fact of life. We have always and will always seek better opportunities in life, trying to find well-paid work, new possibilities to better use our skills, and a better living standard, or just for exploration, education or for love. Therefore, we will always look for opportunities to change our lives either by migrating to the nearest town or another country where the place can give us better chances to grow.

However, not all are able to leave their country by choice. Some are forced to take long journeys in search of a safety they do not enjoy at home.

In May, the world was shocked by the news of the Rohingya refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea without food and drink drifting in no specific direction because they had been evicted from their place of residence and were not allowed to land in any of the  neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Furthermore, they were given no special assistance.

Rohingya refugees are a distinct, Muslim ethnic group, the majority of who live in Myanmar (Burma). There they are subjected to forced labour, have no land rights and are effectively stateless. This has been going on for decades, since 1974 when the Ne Win government officially denied their citizenship in the country but recognise other 135 different ethnic groups. Over the last 3 years, more than 120,000 Rohingya have migrated and 25,000 already migrated in the first quarter of this year based on info from the UN refugee agency.

According to BBC News reports, at first, four neighbouring countries were reluctant to accept them and the authorities pushed them out to sea. However, recently, Malaysia and Indonesia has allowed the refugees to land on their shores. 627 individuals were helped by Indonesian fishermen, who stepped in to help. Recent reports claimed a total of 3,200 have landed safely, however at the point of writing, the United Nations estimate that 1,200 people are still stranded at sea and their location remains unknown. The authorities are afraid that soon they will see boats with dead body landed on their shore as these people has no food supply on their boats.

As the Rohingya's have been expelled from their country of residence, they are not only travelling the sea route, but also by land.  The world was shocked by news of mass graves found at the border of Malaysia and Thailand. According to The Guardian, it is feared that the graves are the Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants who were at the centre of human trafficking crisis. Malaysian Newspaper reports mentioned that 100 bodies had been discovered in the north of the country, and the authorities believed they are the corpses of the refugees who were detained against their will.

I believe neighbouring countries whether developing or developed countries must not see this as a crisis in which the arrival of the refugees is seen as a burden on their economy, but should be viewed as a humanitarian issue which every corner of the world needs to work together to address, including the refugees’ country of origin. Start asking yourself, where’s the humanity when refugees are expelled from the country they were born and raised, because of the political interest in eliminating "unwanted" ethnic groups while this expelled community has nowhere to go because no one wants to help them.

So we to imagine if we were the victims of this situation and there was no shelter or place to go? We are in the era of globalization that is moving towards development and modernization. So how does this happen?

I believe each and every one of us should look at the situation as human beings and start helping those in need.

Migration is a fact of life. We have always and will always seek better opportunities in life, trying to find well-paid work, new possibilities to better use our skills, and a better living standard, or just for exploration, education or for love. Therefore, we will always look for opportunities to change our lives either by migrating to the nearest town or another country where the place can give us better chances to grow.

However, not all are able to leave their country by choice. Some are forced to take long journeys in search of a safety they do not enjoy at home.

In May, the world was shocked by the news of the Rohingya refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea without food and drink drifting in no specific direction because they had been evicted from their place of residence and were not allowed to land in any of the  neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Furthermore, they were given no special assistance.

Rohingya refugees are a distinct, Muslim ethnic group, the majority of who live in Myanmar (Burma). There they are subjected to forced labour, have no land rights and are effectively stateless. This has been going on for decades, since 1974 when the Ne Win government officially denied their citizenship in the country but recognise other 135 different ethnic groups. Over the last 3 years, more than 120,000 Rohingya have migrated and 25,000 already migrated in the first quarter of this year based on info from the UN refugee agency.

According to BBC News reports, at first, four neighbouring countries were reluctant to accept them and the authorities pushed them out to sea. However, recently, Malaysia and Indonesia has allowed the refugees to land on their shores. 627 individuals were helped by Indonesian fishermen, who stepped in to help. Recent reports claimed a total of 3,200 have landed safely, however at the point of writing, the United Nations estimate that 1,200 people are still stranded at sea and their location remains unknown. The authorities are afraid that soon they will see boats with dead body landed on their shore as these people has no food supply on their boats.

As the Rohingya's have been expelled from their country of residence, they are not only travelling the sea route, but also by land.  The world was shocked by news of mass graves found at the border of Malaysia and Thailand. According to The Guardian, it is feared that the graves are the Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants who were at the centre of human trafficking crisis. Malaysian Newspaper reports mentioned that 100 bodies had been discovered in the north of the country, and the authorities believed they are the corpses of the refugees who were detained against their will.

I believe neighbouring countries whether developing or developed countries must not see this as a crisis in which the arrival of the refugees is seen as a burden on their economy, but should be viewed as a humanitarian issue which every corner of the world needs to work together to address, including the refugees’ country of origin. Start asking yourself, where’s the humanity when refugees are expelled from the country they were born and raised, because of the political interest in eliminating "unwanted" ethnic groups while this expelled community has nowhere to go because no one wants to help them.

So we to imagine if we were the victims of this situation and there was no shelter or place to go? We are in the era of globalization that is moving towards development and modernization. So how does this happen?

I believe each and every one of us should look at the situation as human beings and start helping those in need.

The crisis in the Mediterranean is and must be seen as a humanitarian one. Fundamentally, everyone who is in trouble at sea must be rescued according to existing international law. The decision to save someone’s life at sea should never be determined by their nationality, visa or immigration status.

Therefore, Migrant Voice believes that re-establishing a functional search and rescue operation is a moral obligation at Europe’s front door.

It is beyond reason to claim that people fleeing war such as the one in Syria, come to Europe because they know there is a rescue boat, and that if there isn’t a rescue boat they will not come. Rescuing people at sea is not a pull factor. Our members tell us that they know the risk and they are prepared to take it as it is their only option – there is no alternative.

Looking at the countries of origins for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, such as Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, it is very clear that those embarking on the dangerous journey are people fleeing war, conflicts and persecution. European countries are signatories of the United Nation’s Convention on the protection of refugees 1951, therefore under legal obligation to offer protection, and individuals are legally entitled to leave their countries and seek sanctuary.

It is very worrying not to hear the UN Convention mentioned by politicians while responding to the recent crisis, but rather focusing on strengthening the borders, combating trafficking and sending people back to countries with dubious human rights records.

Destroying the boats is not the answer; providing legal routes is the only way to put unscrupulous traffickers out of business.

Re-establishing functional search and rescue and providing legal routes should form the immediate response and action for both the UK and the EU. A longer term plan to bring the international community together to address wars, conflicts and issues forcing people to flee their countries, should follow. Europe can no longer ignore troubles in neighbouring countries and continents.

This is a European wide issue. We need a greater European solidarity to better share the responsibility for the immediate rescuing and supporting of the migrants on Europe’s doorstep.

This issue is not about economics and what benefits those people might or might not bring to Europe; this is about human beings in distress and we as human beings responding to fellow human beings in distress.  

Meet two of those who have made the journeys, Abdel Rahim and Angelina

“So, are you Polish or English? Or what?”

“I’m a second-generation British Pole.”

“But if Poland played England in a football match, who would you support?

“Poland.”                                                                                

“Hah! So you’re not really English!”

“Poland, if the game was in the UK. England, if the game was in Poland.”

You can take those statements two ways: they either indicate the schizophrenic life of the child of immigrants or the gift of dual cultures. I and all my second-generation friends view our upbringing as positive. Not only has it enriched us, it’s allowed us to be open to the traditions, history, and idiosyncrasies of other nationalities. We’re all different; we’re all the same.

Organisations such as Britain First, EDL, and UKIP fail to understand this complexity. A few years ago the writing on the wall seemed to get more distinct for me. I lived in a rural England where activism didn’t appear necessary, and yet I still felt a need to have my say. I did it the only way I knew how. I wrote a novel.

What I aimed to bring to readers unfamiliar with the struggles of refugees or immigrants is that the route to the UK wasn’t easy and the journey wasn’t undertaken by choice. The characters in my book are multi-ethnic; they live in Manchester. Some have been through a horrendous six year war. I don’t want to minimize what the British suffered in World War 2; the UK lost so many of its brave men and women both in battle and in the bombings in the cities. But when an elderly English lady raised in the countryside told me how dreadful it was because a doodlebug might appear on the horizon, my jaw dropped. That was her main wartime worry? Meanwhile, the citizens of Poland were being herded into cattle trucks either to end up in slave labour camps in the Soviet Union and Germany, or concentration camps in Nazi German-occupied Poland. These are the people I remember when our government ignores thousands of refugees now dying in the Mediterranean. We aren’t in the 1940s when people could say, “Oh, but we never knew.”

This week I attended the funeral of a Polish survivor of WW2, a man who came with nothing and built a thriving business. His greatest success, however, was his children. The I Am An Immigrant campaign rightly focuses on recent arrivals who contribute to society. Still, when I looked at this veteran’s children, I realized there’s more to the story than that. Immigrants “pass it on.” These are the people his children became: one joined the Royal Artillery at 16, serving his country in Germany, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and then in the Second Gulf War in Iraq with the Territorial Army. Another joined The Greater Manchester Police Force and served her community for years before becoming a teacher. Another got a first class degree from Oxford, became an ESOL teacher, then Head of Department. Another completed a Diploma in Business Studies and German and became the manager of an ophthalmic clinic. The youngest studied Politics and European Studies then worked as a criminal lawyer until she started a family. She is now a respected food writer.

Enough said.

I am a British Pole, born British, bred Polish, and I, too, am an immigrant.

B.E.Andre’s novel With Blood and Scars is available here: http://mybook.to/withbloodandscars

This past week has not been an easy time for migrants and those that support them. The tragedy of another 400 sisters and brothers dying in the Mediterranean was compounded by the vile callousness of a commentator given voice in a national paper and then a at least a further 600 fellow humans drowning over the weekend.

Last year the Mare Nostrum mission (of search and rescue) in the Mediterranean was stopped by the UK and other EU countries under the premise that it was a ‘pull’ factor (good pieces about how we got to this point politically have been written including by our trustee Professor Heaven Crawley).

Many were shocked last year by the inhumanity but also knew this wouldn’t deter people fleeing persecution or seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Previous governments had tried similar ‘preventative’ measures in the past. Taking away the right to work for people seeking sanctuary while their cases were processed had not deterred people. Tightening social welfare support to inhumane levels also had not lowered numbers of refugees or migrants. This was not why migrants came as the governments own studies had shown. However for governments it was and has been about public perception (in my opinion often heavily influenced by their own political rhetoric) and migrants have been easy targets.

Two years ago I wrote ‘When Rhetoric becomes Policy’  sadly this week we have come full circle. When Ms Hopkins wrote what she did regarding migrants it is sadly a reflection of elements of a ‘deterrence’ policy already in place. For many of our members the sentiment and language used on top of tragic, and many preventable, deaths referring to us as vermin and cockroaches has been appalling and indeed hurtful.

Many pieces have been written this weekend affirming basic decency and humanity, while others such as playwright Anders Lustgarten reminds us of our responsibility. (his play also reviewed on www.migrantvoice.org )

While a grim week that got worse over the weekend. We have been heartened at the numerous journalists requests to include ‘migrant voices’ and have tried to respond with our members and spokespeople. It was also a hopeful weekend on social media as a number of people referred to us as a ‘voice’ of migrants. This was undoubtedly helped by last weeks launches of our annual paper #MVNewspaper15 and our membership in the campaign #IAmAnImmigrant and ‘Bloody Foreigners’ as well as other initiatives in an election period. It has been heartening to receive 500 new followers on our Twitter account and amazingly only positive interactions.

It seems that more than 1000 migrant deaths causes many to take notice. For others sadly there will be agreement with sentiments expressed by Ms. Hopkins that must be combated. For us and it seems a growing tide. ONE death is too many. We notice. We will fight on in solidarity with our old and new friends.

At the Migrant Voice conference in June 2014, there was a call for migrants to vote. This means that we have to speak up as well as act upon it. Voting day is few weeks away, so what are we going to do to give ourselves a better profile?

General Election days are the best time to make our voices heard. It has been suggested that those who can vote but choose not to will contribute to the creation of negative policies by the elected government. Surveys have found that the perception that migrant citizens do not and will not vote only mean that we do not stand to gain any favourable outcomes in any government's policies.

There has been many a time when you hear a candidate saying on television that when he or she stood on the doorsteps of Britain's public, the people's main concerns are about migration – and they are all negative. From too many migrants to exhausting public services to taking jobs to driving wages down, these negative perceptions of migrants only add to the stigmatisation and further discrimination of migrants.

This General Election Day, 7 May 2015, we suggest putting forward certain questions to candidates seeking election when they come to our doors, no matter who we intend to vote for.

Some questions we can start with:

1: What is your party's policy on immigration? At this stage you may get the usual inaccurate claims about immigration and you should correct any inaccuracies with your experience and views. After all, they are there to listen to you. Tell them that you are looking for positive outcomes for migrants like yourself.

2: Why should I vote for your party if you are negative about people like me? Making it personal puts them on the spot to justify their position.

3: How does your party intend to deal with the negative perceptions of migrants in the media? Tell them that negative perceptions only feed into stigmatisation and discrimination of migrants.

Please add to the above list and pin it at your front door so that you are always ready to talk to any political party candidates seeking YOUR VOTE!!

We want to hear what responses you get, so email us at info@migrantvoice.org

Sofi Taylor is a founding member and Chair to the Overseas Nurses and Care Workers Network. She was also the Founder and co-ordinator for the Unison Overseas Nurses Network. At present, she is also a trustee for Migrants Rights Network.

I am an American student who has been living in London for 4 months studying Human Rights Politics at Russell Square. During these 4 months, I have also been volunteering at Migrant Voice. In my time here, I have learned much about European migration. Since it is nearing election time in the United Kingdom, migration is increasingly being debated. Similarly, the recent mid-term elections in the United States also roused a focus on migration over the southern States’ borders. However, the debates seldom focus on the actual life or death journeys some migrants make. This is not to say that all migrants are fleeing war and poverty. Only 3% of the world’s populations are migrants, most of whom are students and workers. An even smaller percentage of migrants are fleeing violence and attempt to overcome unforgiving geographical obstacles to do so. This blog will focus on those fleeing persecution and reflect on the situations they face in trying to reach the US or the UK.

The first step towards solving a problem is admitting there is one. When people are pushed from their home country for one reason or another, (poverty and/or persecution) and do not have the means to take the legal route, they will turn to dangerous methods. The people of Central and South America push through the Arizona desert. The people of the Middle East and Africa take the route through the Mediterranean. Both paths have claimed thousands of lives over the past decade and serves as a tremendous obstacle for achieving the dream of a better life. This situation poses a serious problem. It is time that the underlying tragedies of restricting legal, free movement are acknowledged by the governments responsible while addressing their own citizens concerns.

When governments leave no alternative options for people who are seeking sanctuary to flee their country of origin, dire measures are taken. When migrating from the Middle East or Africa, the Mediterranean stands in the way between migrants and the rest of Europe. Estimates have showed that last year alone, roughly 3,500 have drowned in the Mediterranean; a sharp increase from the previous year’s estimates of 700. This number continues to grow, as the actual figure for how many boats have sunk in the Mediterranean is not entirely clear. The grey areas over which governments are responsible for helping drowning refugees also contribute to the growth in death toll.

In the United States, rather than the sea, it is the Arizona desert that serves as an obstacle for migrants. Located between the border of Mexico and the Southern United States, the Arizona desert remains the most direct route for Latin American refugees fleeing troubles at home. Migrants leave their home in South or Central America and begin to travel north, towards Mexico. Since there are no movement restrictions between the countries of South and Central America, this is not a difficult task in terms of legality. Instead, the difficulty is in lack of transportation, lack of funds, U.S. border patrol agents, and the countless gangs that wait along the path towards Mexico who are looking to rob and kidnap migrants. After reaching Mexico’s northern border, migrants then climb the massive border wall that the United States government has invested billions of dollars in building. Lastly, they must take on the Arizona desert on the other side. People willingly choose to leave their homes to journey on foot through the 100,000 square miles of desert for weeks and suffer with volatile temperatures of 50°C during the day and 4°C during the night. The Arizona desert alone claimed the lives of roughly 2,100 border crossers in previous decade. This death toll does not include the bodies that have yet to be found and those that have died on other routes before reaching the US border. Some are so close to making it: bodies are frequently found within less than an hour’s drive outside of a populated area. It often takes months to identify the dead since United States’ officials do not take responsibility for the bodies but rather outsource this to independent companies; this is similar to the way European governments struggle to claim responsibility for the migrants drowning in the Mediterranean.

In the United Kingdom, citizens are granted freedom of movement throughout Europe. They reap the benefits of being a member of the European Union, however the government’s principle of freedom of movement stops with their own citizens. Those outside of the European Union do not have freedom of movement. Those fleeing persecution are allowed to claim asylum in the United Kingdom, however only if they can get there first. Many often have no choice but to travel via illegal and life threatening means. This situation also exists in the United States. Being a nation formed of immigrants, one would think that it would be open to the positive connotations immigration would bring. Unfortunately, this is not the case and the levels of immigration from the Mexican border have decreased while the death rate has increased tenfold. Where would the United States be today if these policies were in place during the early 20^th century: the height of immigration to the United States?  

When people are willing to risk death rather than stay in their country, doesn’t that tell governments how desperate those individuals are? The fact is that the Western world governments are indirectly contributing to the deaths of these migrants by not creating legal routes for them to access. When the legal path is not an option for people, they will take the illegal, dangerous path. Europe is not alone in this; The Global North should have a moral initiative to make the legal path more accessible for those who need it.

To read more, these are some good resources:

"A Nation of Immigrants". American Heritage Magazine. February/March 1994.

Volume 45, Issue 1. Web. Dec. 2014.

"Europe Is Ignoring Migrants' Plight: JRS." Europe Is Ignoring Migrants' Plight: JRS.

Jesuits in Britain, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

Hopper, John, and Peter Walker. "100 Children among Migrants 'deliberately

Drowned' in Mediterranean." Theguardian.com. The Guardian, 16 Sept. 2014.

Web. 2014.

"Immigrants in the United States and the Current Economic Crisis", Demetrios G.

Papademetriou and Aaron Terrazas, Migration Policy Institute, April 2009.

McIntyre, Erin S. "Death in the Desert: The Dangerous Trek between Mexico and

Arizona | Al Jazeera America." Death in the Desert: The Dangerous Trek

between Mexico and Arizona | Al Jazeera America. Aljazeer America, 11 Mar.

2014. Web. Dec. 2014.

I recently embarked on a personal quest to uncover some of Britain’s migrants and deliver some of their personal stories to the wider public. The aim of the project was to demonstrate how Britain’s diversity has contributed to its betterment and amplified our union with culture. The project asked many questions including exploring whether racism is now sometimes expressed in discrimination towards other cultures or religions.

Britain has always spoken to many corners of the world, and in spite of what I see as our government’s harmful foreign policy; this island continues to attract many internationals seeking safety, education and what we like to call democracy.

One thing I think we all have in common – those who have moved to Great Britain from around the world and those of us born here - is a frustration with inequality, a fondness for freedom and liberation; and right now it appears these are not given enough value by many ruling elites, without care or wonder what the future holds without these.

I believe immigration must happen in order for the world to progress and shape itself. We must see through the language and skin barrier, reach out more and integrate. This is not just a task on the side of those who migrate but also for native brits.

Racism is not an exclusive characteristic of white British natives; it is expressed across a variety of cultures and ethnicities. Perhaps many of us neglect to see the way forward, not learning to bond with one another but habitually closing doors to a shade different to our own. If we are to discard intolerance and elect new understanding, a nation must both politically and communally draft pathways for social living in acceptance.

Radical change appears to be far away, while we allow parliament to talk negatively on immigration, disrespecting the arriving talent carried to Great Britain by migrants.

I often worry about the unconstructive criticisms being shelled at those who come here to make an honest living. Significant numbers are bringing factual benefits to this country. Before we joust each new arrival over, crying wolf to those who look and sound the same as you, I ask you to start a conversation with one who may not. You may seek solace in contrast for once.

I always enjoyed swimming, and I was even training to become a professional swimmer when I was in a primary school. It did not work out because I developed serious skin allergy to the swimming pool water which at that time was very high in chloride. I guess I did not have enough self-discipline to train every morning anyway, but this was a good excuse.

I still would jump into any lake, river or sea and loved the bliss of swimming. However, my perception of the sea as almost benevolent element has changed completely after I have worked with refugees in Malta.

When I was offered a job in Malta, I had already been working with refugees for quite a few years. However, this was a particularly British context, whereby people seeking protection would enter the UK on the plane or a lorry. I was of course aware of the phenomenon of so called ‘boat people’ but it was not something that I knew a lot about. I accepted the job offer eager to learn more about this side of forced migration; also, I was envisaging a summer spent swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Great combination of work and leisure, I thought.

I arrived in Malta in the winter which was completely not what I imagined the Mediterranean climate to be. It was bitterly cold and humid. While I worked with wonderful people, I was taken aback by overall blatant racism others directed at Africans living in the Maltese Islands, and what seemed to me as a very xenophobic political culture which fuels and legitimises the Maltese people’s prejudices. Yet the Africans I met there who had risked their lives and crossed the Mediterranean in toy-like dinghies were perhaps among the poorest and the most desperate – but also the most resilient and determined.

I am not going to go into statistics because I refuse to discuss migration, either economic or forced, using the discourse of numbers. The discourse of numbers is a problem itself, reducing people to mere figures, and overshadowing real human stories behind the act of fleeing one’s country of origin. My point is simple; everyone has a right to a better life, and my ethical stance is underpinned by the notion of hospitality.

During the 15 months I spent in Malta I met many Africans, both in the professional and informal contexts. I heard harrowing survival stories. I also tried to teach some of my African friends how to swim. They were frightened but I was gently insisting (Can one insist in a gentle way? Well, I tried) telling them about the pleasures of swimming. But, in between giggles and panic attacks of my students, I have failed. For them the sea was something else to what it was to me. It was a life threatening force, a liminal space, a border, and last but not least – a killer, and a cemetery. They were simply unable to overcome the memory of their journey, and the profound fear associated with the crossing. Because of those people, every time I plunged into the sea – my beloved sea – I was thinking about men and women who died in those waters. I just couldn’t help it. Those people who cursed the waves and the saltiness of water whilst praying on countless sinking boats, thirsty, hungry and scared to death. It has altered my relationship with the sea forever. I still enjoy swimming but I look at the sea with a degree of suspicion now; the sea, this dormant monster swallowing human lives in the name of immigration controls.

Dear 25,000 Anti-Islam Dresden Protesters and Pegida,