Calais migrants still determined to reach UK, say charity workers

THERE IS “confusion in the minds of the British public” about who the people living rough in Calais are and why they want to come to the UK, activists say.

For many years, hundreds of migrants have lived along the northern French coast as they wait to cross the English Channel concealed in lorries or, increasingly, aboard small boats.

Often living in destitution because of patchy support from the state, men, women and children rely on charities and non-government organisations for support.

Many have fled persecution and torture in faraway countries and seek a better life in the UK.

Tia Bush is a volunteer for humanitarian charity Care4Calais, working on the ground in the French city distributing aid.

She said that the situation for the communities there was “really hard”, with people being evicted by local authorities on a daily basis.

Ms Bush added: “One of the two main settlements doesn’t have any toilets, any access to showers, any water whatsoever that’s not provided by charities and they don’t get any food subsidised by the government either, so again reliant on charities.”

She said people were “very much aware” of the dangers of

Covid-19 but there was little they could do about it.

“I think people realise and are afraid of it but they’ve got no choice.”

People living in the camps say they have no facilities to self isolate, Ms Bush said.

And despite the dangers involved, people are still determined to cross the English Channel to the UK, she added.

Ms Bush said: “People who are here want to go to Britain because they’ve got family there or because they speak the language or they’ve got other ties to the UK and that’s still as strong as ever, I think.

“Obviously, however hard it is here, people have a reason for wanting to get to the UK and they hope that they’ll be safe there.”

She said some people arrived in Calais not knowing how to get to the UK, only realising on arrival that there was no safe route.

“By boat or by lorry, people are just really scared about it,” she added.

Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley has long been critical of

Home Secretary Priti Patel’s approach to the Channel crossings.

The news comes as it was revealed record numbers of people continue to make the perilous journey across the English Channel in small boats, with nearly 6,000 reaching the UK in the first six months of 2021.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “These crossings are completely unacceptable and we have redoubled efforts with French authorities by increasing beach patrols, intelligence sharing and investment in surveillance as we enter the summer months.

“As a result we have now seen over 5,000 people prevented by the French from making the dangerous crossing so far this year.”

Meanwhile, 12 people have been found in the back of a lorry on the M25 after police received phone calls saying occupants were on board and struggling to breathe.

Emergency services were called to the motorway near Chertsey after receiving reports of concern for safety just after 11am yesterday.

Surrey Police said: “Officers were given a very limited description of a lorry and were told that people on board were struggling to breathe. This resulted in police needing to stop a number of lorries quickly to try and identify the one involved.

“The correct lorry was stopped between J10 and 11.”

These crossings are completely unacceptable. A Home Office spokesperson.