Europe Must Act Newsletter

Calais, an Update by Sara from Collective Aid

26.10.2024

Dear EMA members and friends,

In this edition, we focus on the ongoing situation at the UK-France border, where the lack of safe and legal routes forces displaced people into dangerous journeys across the Channel. Tragically, many people, including children, have lost their lives attempting to cross, making this year particularly deadly.

It is concerning that the British government continues to fund France for border security, a move that increases evictions and harassment, while intensifying the already hostile conditions faced by displaced people. Recent reports reveal aggressive tactics used by the French maritime police, putting lives at further risk. Humanitarian organisations are urgently advocating for better access to essential services such as water and sanitation for those in need.

Sara Chianchiano, field coordinator for Collective Aid in Calais, shares her experiences in the following piece. Through her writing and photographs, she highlights the challenges faced by displaced people and the vital work being done by grassroots organisations.

- EMA Newsletter Team

Since the beginning of 2024, 58 people have died at the UK-France border, attempting to cross the English Channel, marking this year as the deadliest one already by September. As of October 16th, 27 500 people have arrived in the UK with small boats in 2024, while 29 427 people made this treacherous journey in the whole of 2023, according to the UK Home Office/Ministry of Defence.

Calais and Grand-Synthe have been places of transit for displaced people since the 1990s and still to this day the freedom of movement and free passages are not guaranteed.

In 2023, the British government agreed to give €141 million to its French counterpart for the years 2023/2024 to further secure the border, and demanded 500 extra police officers in Northern France. This financial contribution adds up to the 65€ million that the UK already pays every year to France, to foster an extremely hostile environment for people on the move.

Since the complete eviction of the “Jungle” in Calais in 2016, where between 8000 and 10 000 people had been living since 2010, the number of displaced people in northern France fluctuates between 500 and 2 500. Now, people survive on different informal living sites.

📸 Sara Chianchiano

Displaced people are neglected on a daily basis by the French authorities, who provide very little access to shelter or basic services, such as water, food and basic necessities. Making up for this institutional void are the French and international grassroots organizations in Calais, with some operating also in Dunkirk. Calais Appeal is a coalition that includes eight of these organisations, which together form a solidarity network, sharing resources and expertise.

To exacerbate their dehumanization, displaced people in Calais suffer discrimination and harassment by the French police, who conduct evictions of living sites every 24-48 hours due to the policy of “non-fixation points”. During these operations, people on the move are often deprived of their personal belongings, such as tents, leaving them without any “shelter”.

Testimonies given by people denounce how police violence in northern France is a daily practice: from preventing people on the move from entering the train station under the threat of tear gas – as happened in August to around 150 people – to stabbing the dinghies about to cross the Channel and leaving without offering any support. Read Collective Aid’s social media post for the whole testimony.

📸 Sara Chianchiano

In this context of repression and criminalisation of migration and neglect of human rights, the latest initiative by several solidarity organizations in Calais is an open letter to the French authorities “demanding urgent action on water and sanitation access to people on the move at the French-UK border”. This is the result of the “Water for All / L’eau Pour Toutes” campaign that started in July 2023 to demand compliance with WHO’s recommendations regarding access to WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene).

Oppressive policies aim to create a highly hostile environment for people on the move and hinder the work of humanitarian organizations. These policies stem from political choices that prefer to invest in securitizing borders rather than in creating safe routes.

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