Struggling to cope with an influx of asylum seekers, Europe is becoming one of its own largest recipients of foreign aid, data released Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation revealed.
Governments have largely left it to aid organizations to house, protect, feed and process the refugees, many fleeing the war in Syria and other conflicts. Local and international groups — some decades old, others only around for a few months — are now working in Greece, France and deeper into Europe.
The camp in Calais, France — which shelters more than 3,000 asylum seekers, most of them seeking passage to the United Kingdom — is now a bustling microcosm of the crisis. Its rubble-strewn dunes play host to an unexpected transplant from the developing world. From obstinate local authorities to water shortages to teargas, the conditions more resemble the fringes of conflict than the French coastline.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
