Tag: calais

Essex Lorry Deaths: Now We Know What Happened, We Must Start a Radical Conversation on Immigration
All 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex last month have now been identified. As the final details of the tragedy emerge, Calais volunteer Abby Meadows argues we must insist on a radical conversation about migration - about how we treat people trying to enter the UK or in the country 'illegally', regardless of whether society considers them refugees or economic migrants.
Tired of Being Ignored, Refugees in Calais Are Learning to Do Their Own Press
Refugees in northern France say too often western volunteers are asked to speak for them, or journalists push their own agenda. That’s if their situation is reported on at all. By mobilising and upskilling they hope to finally change this. 
State Neglect and Police Violence: The Forgotten Refugee Crisis in Calais and Dunkirk
In northern France hundreds of refugees are being neglected by the state, abused by the police and exploited by smugglers. With large charities refusing to get involved and journalists staying away, grassroots groups are still trying to plug the aid gap. But volunteers say there is only so much they can do without adequate resources – and when the only real solutions are political.
Long Read: What Can We Learn from the Existence and Eviction of the Calais Jungle?
The closure of Europe’s largest unregulated refugee camp generated images of desolation and desperation, bolstering a popular narrative of the Jungle as only a problem, and the eviction a solution. But actually longterm volunteers say the camp offered residents a type of support and a sense of community that state asylum systems could learn from.  
Calais Migrant Camp: The State So Far
Calais's migrant camp is under attack. The French and British states have been failing the people living there for years, so why is this happening now?
Calais Migrants’ Eviction Crisis: 4 FAQs Answered
In June we published a piece on the Calais migrant camp, exploring the issues faced by the 'sans-papiers'. Since then, police and private security have tear-gassed the camp and arrested people while a local fascist group has been gaining support. The most recent announcement is that Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart intends to have the site bulldozed, displacing thousands. Here are the things you need to know.
7 Things You Should Know About the ‘Sans-Papiers’ Migrant Camps in Calais
For around 20 years, migrants from across the world have slept rough in Calais hoping for a better life either in the UK or France. They face routine harassment, actively encouraged by local government, and endure terrible conditions. Currently around 600-800 migrants are in Calais 'sans-papiers' (without papers).