MIGRANTS WITH NO PLACE TO GO LOSE THE ONLY ‘HOME’ THEY HAD
Tumult and tears as France dismantles part of the camp called the ‘Jungle,’ which houses 6,000
CALAIS, FRANCE Rahmanjan Safy scrambled to salvage anything valuable from the demolished tents and makeshift shelters at this Calais migrant camp Wednesday, even as riot police and bulldozers destroyed the site.
Food, clothing, spoons — he picked up everything he could find.
Safy, 25, from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, has been in France since 2009. He once lived in this camp but now works with an organization that helps the migrants and refugees. Driving his big, white truck, he moved these precious commodities to a section of the camp still intact, so people could still use them.
“I once was in the same situation as them,” he said. “I never forgot. I want to help them.”
A judge gave the green light last week for the French government to tear down part of the Calais “Jungle,” as the camp is commonly called, but riots broke out this week amid the resulting chaos.
Police and bulldozers began pushing migrants out of tents and temporary shelters Monday, tearing apart the ad hoc camp that houses an estimated 6,000 people. Camp residents fought back, starting fires and attacking police with rocks. The situation Wednesday was calmer, if not less tense. Confusion, uncertainty and sorrow still hang over the camp and the people who have no place to go.
Ahmed Salah from Sudan stood amid trash, mourning the loss of his home of seven months.
“I would go anywhere, not just to England,” he said about wanting to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom. “I don’t want to stay in France. They don’t respect their own laws.”
The French government initially announced its plan to dismantle the southern part of the camp — closer to the highway — in early February. Migrants in that section would attempt to jump on trucks crossing through the Chunnel, despite barbed wire set up to protect the road.
The rest of the camp is being left alone — for the moment.
French authorities defended their move to dismantle part of the Calais camp, while also saying France remains open to refugees. “Our policy is to support those who are in vulnerable situations,” Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said before the dismantling operation began. “The state will continue its strategy of accompanying migrants toward a humanitarian solution that lives up to the values of our country and our tradition of welcoming those who seek asylum in France.”
But volunteers described how people rushed to collect their few belongings in a short amount of time and tried to salvage parts of their shelters for protection against the cold weather.
“They gave people one hour to assemble their belongings,” said Christian Salome, founder and head of L’Auberge Des Migrants, the main organization that distributes food and clothes at the Calais camp.
Other volunteers call the entire situation shameful.
“It is a political decision not to address this issue,” said Paul Bejannin, 30, a volunteer from Paris. “France has the means to accommodate everyone. And the only state presence we ever see here is the riot police.”
Amine Khan, 31, from northern Afghanistan, helplessly watched the bulldozers Wednesday and said his “home” will likely be next.
“I have no choice, I don’t know where I will go,” he said. “I will just keep trying to reach England.”
“They gave people one hour to assemble their belongings.” Christian Salome, aid worker