'The more things change, the more they stay the same,'
It was surprising to see so many families and so many young children in Dunkirk. Suffering the searing heat and the brutally precarious 'living standards', the refugees and migrants here rely completely on charities and NGOs to provide them with the very basic means for survival.
The French government provide practically nothing for the people that reside here - medical care is given in emergency situations, but the aim is to make it as hostile and inhospitable a place as can be, sentiments echoed by the current government the UK. The police will often 'evict' entire camps, causing people to flee with what they can carry, with any possessions left behind taken away and burned. It's ruthless, inhumane and frankly racist. Truly edging toward a dystopia.
And yet, they come. The people here are as resilient as anyone I've ever encountered before, smiling, friendly and simply looking for a better life. Putting their own lives at risk to escape somewhere worse.
It's just shy of 5 years since I've been back to this part of the world - a place where you see the best of people and the worst of the state.
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