The condom bonanza maybe signalled that there was something in the offing for these guys soon, perhaps tonight. Because some people are managing to get to Britain, either by their own devices taking the all too imaginable risk of grabbing and clinging on to an articulated lorry or, if they have the have the money, putting their lives in the hands of people smugglers. My friend on the distribution run, Florent, talked with them and listened to the young men’s dreams of how life will be in the UK. He has no right, he tells me, and I agree, to disabuse them. What should we say: you are the despised of the Earth; most people in the UK fear and loathe you; you are not wanted there or anywhere else in the world. And what happens when these young men do make it to the UK, evade the authorities and try to live their lives? Will they be exploited as illegal labour? Will they have shelter? Will they be safe? I can only dole out the preservatives and hope that someday they find somewhere and some people they can call home; somewhere that they can find a measure of security and the good life.
On the second stop of one of last night’s distribution runs, the young Eritrean men developed a sudden and quite spectacular interest in more than skinny jeans, hoodies and black socks in small size that actually fit them (donors please take note). Tonight they wanted condoms, ‘preservatives’, and in orgiastic proportions. ‘We don’t understand?’ we said in English, French and head-shaking, shoulder hunching gestures. Shyly, the guys tried to explain: something to do with cars, very intimately to do with cars. The three of us on the distribution run were, I think, trying not to let our minds fix on images of young me having sex with some part or other of a car. Hugely amused by our obvious befuddlement, when he could stop himself laughing a jovial guy took time out to explain: the condoms are for urinating when someone does manage to stowaway on a truck making the long journey to the UK. Of course, I should have known! Well, actually no, I shouldn’t because I have never in my life been anywhere near that desperate to be somewhere else so that I could have the chance of making a peaceful life with a reasonable degree of well-being.
The condom bonanza maybe signalled that there was something in the offing for these guys soon, perhaps tonight. Because some people are managing to get to Britain, either by their own devices taking the all too imaginable risk of grabbing and clinging on to an articulated lorry or, if they have the have the money, putting their lives in the hands of people smugglers. My friend on the distribution run, Florent, talked with them and listened to the young men’s dreams of how life will be in the UK. He has no right, he tells me, and I agree, to disabuse them. What should we say: you are the despised of the Earth; most people in the UK fear and loathe you; you are not wanted there or anywhere else in the world. And what happens when these young men do make it to the UK, evade the authorities and try to live their lives? Will they be exploited as illegal labour? Will they have shelter? Will they be safe? I can only dole out the preservatives and hope that someday they find somewhere and some people they can call home; somewhere that they can find a measure of security and the good life.
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AuthorI am he as you are he as you are me, and we are all together Archives
December 2022
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