Freezing in the Alps, Migrants Find Warm Locals

Volunteers are working along the border of Italy and France to keep migrants from getting killed or injured by the cold and the mountains.

The Alpine¹ Mountain helpers arm themselves with hot tea and hand warmers. They believe that their own humanity would be lessened² if they left pregnant women, children, and men young and old to struggle in the weather on their own.

On both sides of the border in the Alps, the effort is based on humanist and humanitarian³ ideas. It is grounded in local traditions of not leaving people to face the weather alone. It started in 2016 when mountain workers would not ignore the migrants.

The aid grew to hundreds of volunteers. They run migrant shelters, clothe those in need for the dangerous crossing, and go out into the mountains. They clear paths in the snow during the day for migrants to follow and wait for them at night to guide them past border police to safety. They also treat them for health problems related to the cold and other medical needs.

"Often, we say, ‘Welcome! How are you?' We speak a bit of English because most people speak at least a bit," said volunteer helper Paquerette Forest, a retired⁴ teacher.

She said some do not want the help, but really tired people will say, "Yes."

"We try to avoid being spotted⁵. We wait in the forest if needed. And we sort out vehicles to come and pick them up," she said.

Migrants credit the volunteers for saving lives. The Alps are not as deadly for migrants as the Mediterranean⁶ Sea, where many hundreds have died or gone missing this year alone.

"If not for them, we would have died of cold," said Aymen Jarnane, 23, a Moroccan led to safety on a night when the temperature dropped to minus 15 Celsius⁷.

But there have been deaths. Aid groups pushed French officials to provide mountain shelters for exiles and to stop pushing the migrants back into Italy. This happened after a Togolese man died from the cold during an attempted night crossing of the mountains in February 2019.

European opponents of migration⁸ argue that aiding exiles gives hope for others to follow. The volunteers however cannot imagine not helping⁹ others.

"Some of them have traveled 7,000 or 8,000 kilometers before getting here, so it's not a mountainous barrier that will stop them," said Jean Gaboriau. He is a mountain guide who helps run a shelter near the town of Briancon.

Gaboriau said, "Regardless of skin color, political or religious beliefs, everyone has the right to be saved or simply to be welcomed."

Words in This Story

humanism – n. a system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion

humanitarian – n. a person who works to make other people's lives better

bit – n. a little of something

spot – v. to see or notice (someone or something that is difficult to see or find)

regardless –adv. without being stopped by difficulty or trouble

1 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

2 lessened   

减少的，减弱的

参考例句：

• Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。
• The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

6 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。