Hi, my name’s Alice and I volunteered in Northern France from 2016 – 2018. I largely work with Refugee Community Kitchen, preparing, cooking and distributing over a thousand portions of hot food a day to displaced communities in and around Northern France.
The situation on our border in Northern France is, and continues to be, desperate. Despite the destruction of the Jungle camp over 2 years ago, there are hundreds of displaced people-- men, women and children living rough on the streets and abandoned areas between Calais and Dunkirk. These displaced communities are largely fleeing their homes because of conflict or political dangers and are from countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea and Ethiopia among others. Most want to reach the UK because of family already in the UK or an ability to speak the language.
Accommodation centres provided by the French state are cramped and overcrowded, insufficient for the large number of people. Displaced people face daily evictions and police brutality. Their tents, sleeping bags and often belongings are confiscated and destroyed by armed French riot police. Any settlement is soon destroyed. In a recent eviction of a living space in Calais, police gave refugees two choices: to get on a bus to unknown accommodation centre or face immediate arrest and detention.
On other occasions families have been forced onto buses with the promise of accommodation, only to have been driven around for several hours and later dropped down the road. Communities are constantly destroyed and scattered in a temporary and ill thought-out ‘solution’ to solve the problem.
Every time I return to Calais, there is more concrete, more barbed wire and taller walls.
British taxes contribute to the funding of these fences and the French riot police in their brutal and inhumane border security methods and failure to provide safe and legal routes of refuge into the UK.
On Friday 8th March this year a 19 year old boy was killed in the back of a lorry in his last resort of trying to reach refuge and his brother in the UK. It was not mentioned on UK news.
Charities that you are supporting today such as Safe Passage work to provide just that-- safe and legal passage for minors to reach the UK. Other charities like Help Refugees and Refugee Community Kitchen provide aid in the field in Northern France to displaced peoples.
What can you do?
- Write to your MP. This is a systematic problem. Write to your MP about the situation in
Calais and family reunification policies. (See Safe Passage website for more advice on this).
- Support charities that work in the field—like the ones you see here today! Do fundraisers,
donation collections and raise awareness.
- Volunteer in Calais: it is so easy to get involved. Whether you give one day, one week or one month. Little experience is needed. These charities rely on your help. Talk to people here today about volunteering or visit their website for further info.
Here’s the low down:
o Help Refugees sorts and distributes tents, clothes, sleeping bags
o Refugee Community Kitchen cooks and provides daily hot meals to displaced people
in Calais, Dunkirk and Brussels
o Mobile Refugee Support provides Wi-Fi, mobile phone charging/maintenance
o Refugee Youth Service works with minors in the field
o Utopia 56, distributes food and items around Northern France.
o Wood Yard: prepares and distributes wood to communities so that they may keep
warm and cook for themselves
Written by Alice Fraser.
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