Post by Emmaus St Albans on Sept 10, 2015 13:53:01 GMT
Below are a couple of write ups from previous trips we've made to Calais to give you an idea of what to expect:
Calais Update – 3rd May 2015 – An unbelievable trip!
We set off at 7am on Sunday 3rd May, our 4th visit to Calais.
• We travelled in: 1 van and 2 cars.
• We were: 6 companions (Pan, Andy, Jim, Lee, Paul and Leon), staff (Jenny and I), my wife (Shirley) and Yeol, an Eritrean friend (UK passport holder) who as well as being a very active member within the Eritrean community, is currently taking a degree course in London.
• We had arranged to meet Christian (a local helper) in Calais
We met in the area surrounding the local government run ‘Jules Ferry’ day centre so we could distribute supplies to the various nationalities camping there.
On arrival, we quickly discovered that much had changed in the 4 weeks since we were last there:
• We estimate there are now circa 2,500 migrants
• This means there have been at least 1,000 newcomers since our last visit and now means that migrant numbers are fast increasing i.e. currently same as pre-Jules Ferry figures and we expect migrants to continue arriving.
• The Jules Ferry centre that opened a month ago to house 100 women and children in sheltered accommodation is full and this means that women are camping on the chemical wasteland with the men.
• Most of the newcomers have been asset stripped during their journey and therefore arrive with what they are standing up in. They are inadequately dressed, often with sandals and no socks and often without jackets.
• Many of those who have been there a while are not much better equipped.
• There is evidence of increasing health problems including:
o Contagious conditions such as Chest Infections, Flu like symptoms and Infestations such as Scabies.
o Increasing incidence of Pain & Discomfort due to lack of facility to attend to teeth, nails and eyes to prevent or quickly resolve injury or infection.
o Individual Injuries due to accident/environmental, ill-fitting shoes or conflict,
o Mental health issues due to what they have experienced in their past coupled with the situation and conditions they are currently in.
o 3 Eritrean women we assisted (late teens/early twenties) were all pregnant.
o Some individuals were showing their scars from the torture inflicted in Libya and the Bedouins in the Sinai desert.
• There are more reports of conflict between the largely Syrian, Eritrean, Sudanese, Ethiopian and Afghanistan people in the camp.
Our hope for a smooth distribution around the camp met with early difficulties:
Due to the increased numbers coupled with the desperate state of many - especially the newcomers; migrants quickly surrounded our van and cars.
Yoel was able to establish some order:
• His height (at least 6’4”), his authority especially with the Eritreans and language skills to communicate with the others enabled him to get the migrants to form queues.
• We initially handed out pre-packed kitchen and food items to members representing each of the makeshift kitchen areas.
• We then progressed to providing for individual needs.
Individuals in each queue inevitably became impatient and eventually the situation became chaotic. In response we resorted to closing the van shutters until some order returned and the queues were re-established. This cycle took place about every 20 minutes.
Three riot police vans with about 10 French police arrived at the scene:
They assured us that they were there for everyone’s protection and were content to sit back.
After about 2 hours, several hundred migrants had gravitated around the vehicles and they advised/insisted we move away, as they felt trouble might break out
We took the opportunity for a break and were invited to Christian’s house in the centre of Calais to regroup. After some coffee and cake in Christian’s beautiful house:
• We were able to offload most of our remaining stock of largely sleeping bags and cooking equipment in the warehouse belonging to ‘Secours Catholique’.
• We were fortunate that Christian knows the key holder and we now have a contact for the future even when the warehouse is closed.
• We split the remaining items including tents and small items including hundreds of boxer shorts, shampoo, toiletries and wind-up torches and returned to the camp (without the van)
This went very well: we felt safe, weren’t mobbed and the migrants were more relaxed.
On our return journey, the van was searched twice;
• the first time on the French side by the UK Border Agency
• and a second time, on arrival in Dover when the van was directed to the special building and searched once again.
On arrival back in St Albans a figure appeared out of the dark from under the van!
Shahzad had entered the UK as a stowaway; he had been under our van for over 7 hours. The situation seemed surreal especially when companion Paul remembered him from Calais and greeted him with ‘hi, what are you doing here?’
• Nobody had considered it possible.
• The van is considered secure as the tail lift crosses the rear door and therefore forced entry is not possible.
• Nobody thought that there was physically enough space to fit a person in the 8 inch gap above the chassis let alone carry out such a horrific journey.
A little about Shahzad Alimi: He says he is 14 years old, his mother is dead, his father disowned him and he was street homeless in Afghanistan. He left Afghanistan about 3 months ago and made it to Hungary where he paid to ride on the axle of a truck to Italy. From there he managed to work his way up to Calais on trains. He had only been in Calais for 3 days before taking what must have been a horrendous journey back to England with us.
• Shahzad was clearly tired but was in good condition considering his ordeal.
• Jenny and I decided to involve the police immediately who arrived some 30 minutes later. We gave Shahzad food, water and a change of clothes before he left with them.
We intend to follow his progress.
• Shahzad contacted companion Paul today (Tuesday) and he is in temporary foster care.
• Shirley has subsequently talked to the care home assistant and Shahzad, who is in High Wycombe.
• The care assistant has advised that he has been age assessed at 16. This means he may be moved to another establishment and an appropriate Social Worker will be assigned to him. However, they have contact details and we will be kept informed regarding next steps.
The Future?
We learn something new with every trip to Calais and the situation is changing due to the large numbers of new arrivals. This is hardly surprising when considering the tens of thousands arriving in Italy every week.
The warehouses of ‘Secours Catholique’ and Emmaus are geared for ‘emergency stock’ and we feel that it is an emergency now.
As valuable as they are, they are only providing a trickle feed compared to the pressing need to get more aid to the camps. The numbers will continue to swell!
What we do is worthwhile and much appreciated but is totally inadequate.
Our next trip is being planned for 6th/7th June and Emmaus Oxford will be coming with us. Before then we need to consider how we can improve our distribution methods to avoid some of the difficulties we encountered.
Calais Update – 5th July – it rained in biblical proportions and brightened up later..
It was the usual 7am start for our 6th trip on Sunday 5th July.
We were:
• 2 staff, 3 companions and 1 volunteer travelling in: 1 van and 2 cars from Emmaus St Albans
Joined by..
• 2 staff and 1 volunteer travelling in 2 vans from Emmaus Oxford
There was no sign of any delay or disruption from the strikes in previous days (contra to media reports) and we all met in queuing area to board the ferry.
We went straight to ‘Secours Catholique’ the warehouse and distribution centre for migrants in Calais. With 3 van loads we wouldn’t have enough time to distribute everything, so decided some stock would be left at Secours Catholique. While waiting for Pascal to arrive, we sorted what we would distribute on the day and what we would leave. The thunderstorms and heavy rain didn’t help.
When we looked round the warehouse we noted that there was a significant decrease in stockpiled items in Secours Catholique since our last visit.
We set off on the first of 5 trips to the migrant camp with shoes and food. The vans were left behind to avoid being mobbed and everything was prepacked by item and size to ensure a more even distribution. This is very time consuming but has proven to be the only fair method avoiding conflict among the migrants. This process went on all day, exhausting, soaked but nobody complained. We even elected to catch a later ferry at about 8pm. The gratitude of the migrants and inexhaustible need is enough to keep you going.
Things have become increasing desperate for longer staying and new migrants:
• We understand that the recent strikes had provided opportunity for many to get into England through the tunnels
• This had made little impact on the overall numbers which are increasing in and around the site area and all day we saw new people trickling in.
• The camps have expanded significantly since May and as reported during visit 5 (see report from Emmaus Europe) probably in excess of 3,000.
• We could see evidence of some reasonable quality tent builds some of which have been built by Emmaus Dunkirk. We will be joining Emmaus Dunkirk in September for a weekend of building more substantial accommodation.
• A number of new latrines have been erected (we saw 3 sets of about 7 or so in different locations). These were provided by Doctors of the World
• Doctors of the World have also set up 3 or 4 large marquee style tents for first aid use.
• There were 2 new standpipes making water a little more accessible, we understand a number of charities pulled together, withdrew their support out of sheer desperation until the local council provided improved facilities.
• There is even a handful of ‘shops’ selling food. Whilst this might seem surreal, it provides some community normalcy. This can happen where a migrant has a successful application to stay in France, they are provided with an allowance and they use this to set up their shops.
• There are still countless migrants with no shoes, jackets and basic survival equipment.
There is a desperate need for trainers in decent condition
• We tried to get deeper into the camp, so this wouldn’t be a first come first served.
• Our aim was to find individuals who had greater need.
• When they knew we had shoes we were quickly surrounded
• However those who found us first were also desperate and we soon off loaded what we had with us
• Our second trip provided shoes hidden in bags with other items for men and it didn’t take long for them to work this out.
• We understand that trainers are also becoming a currency.
As in previous visits the migrants are ill equipped for camping in makeshift shelters on an old chemical waste ground.
The Jules Ferry centre (the sheltered section of the camp) that opened in May to house 100 women and children in sheltered accommodation is still full and there are more now, an estimated 150 women camping on the chemical wasteland with the men. We also met others who we have seen on previous visits, including a couple of women who are pregnant.
Observations
• We still feel that what we are doing is worthwhile and much appreciated but is totally inadequate even though there are several other charities working in the camps.
• Our next trip is being planned for August and Emmaus Oxford will be coming with us. Emmaus Bristol intends to join the growing number of Emmaus communities who are donating.
• Local charities in France say they are hearing of increased levels of police brutality and of migrants drowning in desperate attempts to swim the channel!
• Also notable is a survey carried out by Secours Catholique that concludes that the vast majority of migrants do not have a final destination in mind when leaving their country. They move to the next ‘friendly’ country then get moved on by the traffickers until Libya, then Greece and Italy. About 10% then end up in Calais.
• Emmaus Europe met on 24 &25th June in Emmaus Dunkirk to discuss migration and trafficking. It was attended by Emmaus France, Belgium, UK, Italy and Germany. A report is to be distributed shortly.
Shahzad update:
Shahzad (our trip 4 stowaway) is staying in a shared home for vulnerable children. He has been aged assessed as 16
• He has been joined by Bashir a 17 year old Eritrean who entered the UK via the rail tunnel
• Shirley has been in regular contact with both of them
• They came to the Emmaus St Albans Open Day and had a great reception from the staff and companions.
• They have been assessed for their language and academic capability and will start school in September. In the meantime, they’ll be attending a local college to help them with their spoken and written English skills.
• They are both Muslim and are observing Ramadan.
Calais Update – 3rd May 2015 – An unbelievable trip!
We set off at 7am on Sunday 3rd May, our 4th visit to Calais.
• We travelled in: 1 van and 2 cars.
• We were: 6 companions (Pan, Andy, Jim, Lee, Paul and Leon), staff (Jenny and I), my wife (Shirley) and Yeol, an Eritrean friend (UK passport holder) who as well as being a very active member within the Eritrean community, is currently taking a degree course in London.
• We had arranged to meet Christian (a local helper) in Calais
We met in the area surrounding the local government run ‘Jules Ferry’ day centre so we could distribute supplies to the various nationalities camping there.
On arrival, we quickly discovered that much had changed in the 4 weeks since we were last there:
• We estimate there are now circa 2,500 migrants
• This means there have been at least 1,000 newcomers since our last visit and now means that migrant numbers are fast increasing i.e. currently same as pre-Jules Ferry figures and we expect migrants to continue arriving.
• The Jules Ferry centre that opened a month ago to house 100 women and children in sheltered accommodation is full and this means that women are camping on the chemical wasteland with the men.
• Most of the newcomers have been asset stripped during their journey and therefore arrive with what they are standing up in. They are inadequately dressed, often with sandals and no socks and often without jackets.
• Many of those who have been there a while are not much better equipped.
• There is evidence of increasing health problems including:
o Contagious conditions such as Chest Infections, Flu like symptoms and Infestations such as Scabies.
o Increasing incidence of Pain & Discomfort due to lack of facility to attend to teeth, nails and eyes to prevent or quickly resolve injury or infection.
o Individual Injuries due to accident/environmental, ill-fitting shoes or conflict,
o Mental health issues due to what they have experienced in their past coupled with the situation and conditions they are currently in.
o 3 Eritrean women we assisted (late teens/early twenties) were all pregnant.
o Some individuals were showing their scars from the torture inflicted in Libya and the Bedouins in the Sinai desert.
• There are more reports of conflict between the largely Syrian, Eritrean, Sudanese, Ethiopian and Afghanistan people in the camp.
Our hope for a smooth distribution around the camp met with early difficulties:
Due to the increased numbers coupled with the desperate state of many - especially the newcomers; migrants quickly surrounded our van and cars.
Yoel was able to establish some order:
• His height (at least 6’4”), his authority especially with the Eritreans and language skills to communicate with the others enabled him to get the migrants to form queues.
• We initially handed out pre-packed kitchen and food items to members representing each of the makeshift kitchen areas.
• We then progressed to providing for individual needs.
Individuals in each queue inevitably became impatient and eventually the situation became chaotic. In response we resorted to closing the van shutters until some order returned and the queues were re-established. This cycle took place about every 20 minutes.
Three riot police vans with about 10 French police arrived at the scene:
They assured us that they were there for everyone’s protection and were content to sit back.
After about 2 hours, several hundred migrants had gravitated around the vehicles and they advised/insisted we move away, as they felt trouble might break out
We took the opportunity for a break and were invited to Christian’s house in the centre of Calais to regroup. After some coffee and cake in Christian’s beautiful house:
• We were able to offload most of our remaining stock of largely sleeping bags and cooking equipment in the warehouse belonging to ‘Secours Catholique’.
• We were fortunate that Christian knows the key holder and we now have a contact for the future even when the warehouse is closed.
• We split the remaining items including tents and small items including hundreds of boxer shorts, shampoo, toiletries and wind-up torches and returned to the camp (without the van)
This went very well: we felt safe, weren’t mobbed and the migrants were more relaxed.
On our return journey, the van was searched twice;
• the first time on the French side by the UK Border Agency
• and a second time, on arrival in Dover when the van was directed to the special building and searched once again.
On arrival back in St Albans a figure appeared out of the dark from under the van!
Shahzad had entered the UK as a stowaway; he had been under our van for over 7 hours. The situation seemed surreal especially when companion Paul remembered him from Calais and greeted him with ‘hi, what are you doing here?’
• Nobody had considered it possible.
• The van is considered secure as the tail lift crosses the rear door and therefore forced entry is not possible.
• Nobody thought that there was physically enough space to fit a person in the 8 inch gap above the chassis let alone carry out such a horrific journey.
A little about Shahzad Alimi: He says he is 14 years old, his mother is dead, his father disowned him and he was street homeless in Afghanistan. He left Afghanistan about 3 months ago and made it to Hungary where he paid to ride on the axle of a truck to Italy. From there he managed to work his way up to Calais on trains. He had only been in Calais for 3 days before taking what must have been a horrendous journey back to England with us.
• Shahzad was clearly tired but was in good condition considering his ordeal.
• Jenny and I decided to involve the police immediately who arrived some 30 minutes later. We gave Shahzad food, water and a change of clothes before he left with them.
We intend to follow his progress.
• Shahzad contacted companion Paul today (Tuesday) and he is in temporary foster care.
• Shirley has subsequently talked to the care home assistant and Shahzad, who is in High Wycombe.
• The care assistant has advised that he has been age assessed at 16. This means he may be moved to another establishment and an appropriate Social Worker will be assigned to him. However, they have contact details and we will be kept informed regarding next steps.
The Future?
We learn something new with every trip to Calais and the situation is changing due to the large numbers of new arrivals. This is hardly surprising when considering the tens of thousands arriving in Italy every week.
The warehouses of ‘Secours Catholique’ and Emmaus are geared for ‘emergency stock’ and we feel that it is an emergency now.
As valuable as they are, they are only providing a trickle feed compared to the pressing need to get more aid to the camps. The numbers will continue to swell!
What we do is worthwhile and much appreciated but is totally inadequate.
Our next trip is being planned for 6th/7th June and Emmaus Oxford will be coming with us. Before then we need to consider how we can improve our distribution methods to avoid some of the difficulties we encountered.
Calais Update – 5th July – it rained in biblical proportions and brightened up later..
It was the usual 7am start for our 6th trip on Sunday 5th July.
We were:
• 2 staff, 3 companions and 1 volunteer travelling in: 1 van and 2 cars from Emmaus St Albans
Joined by..
• 2 staff and 1 volunteer travelling in 2 vans from Emmaus Oxford
There was no sign of any delay or disruption from the strikes in previous days (contra to media reports) and we all met in queuing area to board the ferry.
We went straight to ‘Secours Catholique’ the warehouse and distribution centre for migrants in Calais. With 3 van loads we wouldn’t have enough time to distribute everything, so decided some stock would be left at Secours Catholique. While waiting for Pascal to arrive, we sorted what we would distribute on the day and what we would leave. The thunderstorms and heavy rain didn’t help.
When we looked round the warehouse we noted that there was a significant decrease in stockpiled items in Secours Catholique since our last visit.
We set off on the first of 5 trips to the migrant camp with shoes and food. The vans were left behind to avoid being mobbed and everything was prepacked by item and size to ensure a more even distribution. This is very time consuming but has proven to be the only fair method avoiding conflict among the migrants. This process went on all day, exhausting, soaked but nobody complained. We even elected to catch a later ferry at about 8pm. The gratitude of the migrants and inexhaustible need is enough to keep you going.
Things have become increasing desperate for longer staying and new migrants:
• We understand that the recent strikes had provided opportunity for many to get into England through the tunnels
• This had made little impact on the overall numbers which are increasing in and around the site area and all day we saw new people trickling in.
• The camps have expanded significantly since May and as reported during visit 5 (see report from Emmaus Europe) probably in excess of 3,000.
• We could see evidence of some reasonable quality tent builds some of which have been built by Emmaus Dunkirk. We will be joining Emmaus Dunkirk in September for a weekend of building more substantial accommodation.
• A number of new latrines have been erected (we saw 3 sets of about 7 or so in different locations). These were provided by Doctors of the World
• Doctors of the World have also set up 3 or 4 large marquee style tents for first aid use.
• There were 2 new standpipes making water a little more accessible, we understand a number of charities pulled together, withdrew their support out of sheer desperation until the local council provided improved facilities.
• There is even a handful of ‘shops’ selling food. Whilst this might seem surreal, it provides some community normalcy. This can happen where a migrant has a successful application to stay in France, they are provided with an allowance and they use this to set up their shops.
• There are still countless migrants with no shoes, jackets and basic survival equipment.
There is a desperate need for trainers in decent condition
• We tried to get deeper into the camp, so this wouldn’t be a first come first served.
• Our aim was to find individuals who had greater need.
• When they knew we had shoes we were quickly surrounded
• However those who found us first were also desperate and we soon off loaded what we had with us
• Our second trip provided shoes hidden in bags with other items for men and it didn’t take long for them to work this out.
• We understand that trainers are also becoming a currency.
As in previous visits the migrants are ill equipped for camping in makeshift shelters on an old chemical waste ground.
The Jules Ferry centre (the sheltered section of the camp) that opened in May to house 100 women and children in sheltered accommodation is still full and there are more now, an estimated 150 women camping on the chemical wasteland with the men. We also met others who we have seen on previous visits, including a couple of women who are pregnant.
Observations
• We still feel that what we are doing is worthwhile and much appreciated but is totally inadequate even though there are several other charities working in the camps.
• Our next trip is being planned for August and Emmaus Oxford will be coming with us. Emmaus Bristol intends to join the growing number of Emmaus communities who are donating.
• Local charities in France say they are hearing of increased levels of police brutality and of migrants drowning in desperate attempts to swim the channel!
• Also notable is a survey carried out by Secours Catholique that concludes that the vast majority of migrants do not have a final destination in mind when leaving their country. They move to the next ‘friendly’ country then get moved on by the traffickers until Libya, then Greece and Italy. About 10% then end up in Calais.
• Emmaus Europe met on 24 &25th June in Emmaus Dunkirk to discuss migration and trafficking. It was attended by Emmaus France, Belgium, UK, Italy and Germany. A report is to be distributed shortly.
Shahzad update:
Shahzad (our trip 4 stowaway) is staying in a shared home for vulnerable children. He has been aged assessed as 16
• He has been joined by Bashir a 17 year old Eritrean who entered the UK via the rail tunnel
• Shirley has been in regular contact with both of them
• They came to the Emmaus St Albans Open Day and had a great reception from the staff and companions.
• They have been assessed for their language and academic capability and will start school in September. In the meantime, they’ll be attending a local college to help them with their spoken and written English skills.
• They are both Muslim and are observing Ramadan.