What a lot Malc and I learned about our guests yesterday and the asylum process.
Firstly certainly the men we talked to had decent lives back in their homes but had to escape to live, encouraged by parents to save themselves. Boys are important in families as Chrissie discovered when talking to one of the men. He was sad that she only had one boy who would be able to support her in her old age. He asked why she did not have more? They are as interested in us as we are in them.
They proudly showed us their personal cards " awaiting domicile" They have their fingerprints taken and give name, date of birth and country of origin. Of the 17 only two have decided not to take out asylum, they are brothers I think who have family in Birmingham. If they took asylum here they could not go to the UK and even if they managed to get there they would be sent back. They hope policies will change, but I fear they will be disappointed.
The ones we spoke to were very keen to become French now, turning their back on trying to get to a country that does not want them. Two or three although tired wanted to start learning French, and one of the meal servers from the Croix Rouge sat going through numbers with one boy.
Another drew a flag of Afghanistan and wanted it on the wall, today I want to make sure we have flags up from all the nations there including France.
Well onward and upward today with making sure they have warm clothes to go and start getting to know the area and St. Antonin and for them their new lives are just beginning.
If any one has a Pakistani /French dictionary or Arabic /French dictionary please donate!!!
One boy picked up our English/French dictionary hoping to translate something but ended up throwing it down in frustration.
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