Dated
In a tent somewhere in Europe
a dream grows; another lies ruptured
on a soggy floor, with other tid-bits
a dream grows; another lies ruptured
on a soggy floor, with other tid-bits
a daring escape across the burning plains and
mad seas, along with other battered families
in a boat not even sea-worthy
mad seas, along with other battered families
in a boat not even sea-worthy
humans running away from a reality show ongoing
where the blood is real, not ketchup for that gory effect
where the blood is real, not ketchup for that gory effect
violence
bullets
killings
deaths
part of daily script
and men, women and kids
the common fodder
bullets
killings
deaths
part of daily script
and men, women and kids
the common fodder
on a wintry day
ice-bound
tiny tent non-descriptive
like others in that sea
ice-bound
tiny tent non-descriptive
like others in that sea
the cold desolation
and under a thin roof
a big family clings on
to tenuous links
past/present
a bit of soil from their country!
and under a thin roof
a big family clings on
to tenuous links
past/present
a bit of soil from their country!
shattered lives
huddled together under alien skies
huddled together under alien skies
and a strong wish to survive
swamp-lands
wastelands
no man's lands
all---
hells--- only locations different.
swamp-lands
wastelands
no man's lands
all---
hells--- only locations different.
mere numbers in an unfolding trans-national
catastrophe
now---no longer grabbing headlines.
now---no longer grabbing headlines.
The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2014 reached almost 60 million, the highest level since World War II, a 40% increase since 2011. Beginning in 2015, an overwhelming number of them, mainly from Syria (46.7%), Afghanistan, (20.9%), and Iraq (though of the 10 largest countries of origin, 6 were African: Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea), swarmed into Europe, traveling across the Mediterranean Sea or through Southeast Europe. One million arrived in Europe in 2015, three to four times more than in 2014; 3% went by land into Bulgaria and Greece, and the rest by sea, with a majority to Greece, the rest to Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta. The number of deaths at sea spiked in April 2015, when five boats carrying almost 2,000 migrants sank; more than 1,200 died. Over 3,000 died or disappeared in the Mediterranean in 2014, over 22,000 between 2000 and 2014. EU states received over 1.3 million first-time asylum applications in 2015, nearly double the number in 2014, with about 2/3 of them for Germany, Hungary, Sweden, and Austria.Since April 2015, the European Union has increased funding for border patrol operations, devised plans to counter the smuggling of migrants, establishing a quota system to relocate and resettle refugees, and provide funds for the countries bearing the weight of the migration. Anti-immigration parties increased their vote levels. On 20 March 2016, an Eu-Turkey agreement came into effect: irregular migrants arriving in Greece are to be sent back to Turkey, where they will be given medical checks, registered, fingerprinted, and deported to their home countries; up to 72,000 Syrians who are returned to Turkey are to be replaced by Syrians who were previously resettled legally in Turkey; and Turkey is to receive $3.3 billion in aid to finance these arrangements. And, with that, the crisis disappeared -- or, at least from the headlines and TV broadcasts.
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