How do you lose a family member in Europe’s elusive borders? And as a refugee how do you navigate the world of smugglers when crossing the English Channel? At a time when nations are sealing off their borders, we explore the nuances of migration, border ambiguity and smuggling in this episode of Kerning Cultures. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Where is Dunkirk? What is the history of this town? Dunkirk is a small city in northern France that rests about 10 kilometers away from the Belgian border. According to the 2012 census, Dunkirk boasts a population of nearly 91,000 inhabitants. Originally a fishing village in the Middle Ages, this small city has undergone several territorial disputes and was briefly in the hands of Spain, the Netherlands, and England, before finally becoming official French territory. How did a refugee camp evolve in Grande Synthe? Grande Synthe has recently been considered France’s first internationally recognized refugee camp. Located in the suburbs of Dunkirk, the Grande-Synthe camp currently caters to a consistently fluctuating group of around 2,500 refugees. Local mayor, Damien Careme, along with several groups of volunteers, called for the construction of this new…
Across Europe’s Borders and Through Refugee Camps: Inside the Hawala Smuggling System
August 17, 2016
