COVID-19 as an exercise in solidarity
Photo: Team Humanity
Practice and exercise solidarity: share this message, sign the #LeaveNoOnBehind petition and join the #SOSMoria campaign.
“Only together” (we can withstand the coronavirus), is the slogan of a campaign through which the Dutch government aims to inspire all Dutch people to work together and show solidarity in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The measures against the coronavirus have a major impact on our society and put great demands on people. Fortunately, we have witnessed the emergence of enormous solidarity in our society. Large initiatives, such as a minute long applause for people in the healthcare sector, but also smaller gestures, such as grocery shopping for neighbours, looking after the children of people in crucial sectors or simply calling each other on a regular basis to check whether everything is going well; it is inspiring to see how we in the Netherlands help each other with so many creative and innovative solutions. The coronavirus has created opportunities to practice solidarity, opportunities that many people gladly seize!
Solidarity has also always been the driving force behind the reception of refugees in Europe, in the Netherlands and in the agreements on the resettlement and redistribution of refugees, which EU countries made. At a time when Dutch people excel in solidarity due to the Corona crisis, most EU countries suspend asylum procedures. Moreover, a humanitarian catastrophe threatens crowded refugee camps such as Moria Camp in Greece (click here for a closer look into Moria Camp). In this camp alone, thousands of refugees are trapped in horrible circumstances, unable to keep a safe distance and limit social contact and with almost no facilities and resources available to fight the virus. The same principles applies here as well: we can only fight the virus together!
That is why we call on the Dutch government and all Dutch citizens: show solidarity with refugees! Follow Portugal in offering refugees a temporary residence permit that provides them access to healthcare and other facilities. Work together with other European governments to ensure that the refugees find a safe place during the crisis. Transfer them from the overcrowded refugee camps and provide them access to medical facilities, both there and here.
#OnlyTogether we can withstand the coronavirus pandemic.
#OnlyTogether we can provide security to refugees.
Practice and exercise solidarity: share this message, sign the #LeaveNoOnBehind petition and join the #SOSMoria campaign.