Giant ‘refugee’ puppet lands after Europe trek

A giant puppet of a Syrian refugee child created to symbolise millions of displaced children landed Tuesday, local time, on the coast of southeast England on the last leg of an 8000 kilometre journey across Europe from the border of Syria.

The 3.5-metre (11.5-foot) puppet named Little Amal – a name meaning ‘‘hope’’ in Arabic – was greeted by actor Jude Law on the Folkestone seafront. The puppet, operated by three people, has travelled through Europe after setting off from the Turkish-syrian border in July and has been greeted by thousands of people along the way, including Pope Francis in Rome.

‘‘Little Amal is 3.5 metres tall because we want the world to grow big enough to greet her,’’ said Amir Nizar Zuabi, artistic director of project. ‘‘We want her to inspire us to think big and to act bigger.’’

Little Amal was created by Handspring, the company that made the equine puppets for hit West End and Broadway theatre show War Horse. The puppet was designed as part of The Walk, a travelling festival of art and hope to raise awareness of the problems faced by young migrants.

The idea of Little Amal’s journey in search of her brother evolved from The Jungle, a play about migration and displacement produced by Good Chance Theatre, set in a camp in northern France where migrants gather hoping to reach Britain. Migrants have long used northern France as a launching point to reach Britain, either by stowing away in trucks or in boats organised by smugglers. About 20,000 people have crossed the Channel to England by boat so far this year.

Little Amal’s journey will continue to Dover, London and Coventry before ending in Manchester on November 3. –

GETTY IMAGES Little Amal walks along Folkestone Pier with Jude Law and a group of schoolchildren. The 3.5 metre-tall puppet, representing a migrant Syrian girl, has nearly completed its 8000km journey across Europe, starting in Gaziantep, Turkey, and culminating in Manchester, England, in November.