Before the eviction. A fire to keep warm under a shelter made of wood by activists and organisations. Photo Credit: Hannah Parry
On Tuesday last week, I went along as a volunteer with Roots to the waste ground just outside the port town of Dunkirk.
We refer to it as “going to camp”, but that is a generous term for a large expanse of ground, edged by a stinking ditch, with a few spindly trees here and there, and areas of spiky weeds. People have tents in different areas, trying to create a bit of privacy with tarpaulins strung between them. Piles of rubbish await being burnt for warmth as the temperatures plummet towards nighttime.
The people staying here are people-on-the-move, numbering roughly 150 at that time. They come from countries including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan, all with different backgrounds and stories, different journeys behind them. Many of them will have crossed oceans already, in dangerous vessels, many of them will have been illegally pushed back to Turkiye or Libya. All of them are hoping to reach the UK - whether because of language skills, family ties, or belief that the UK will provide a warm welcome and a fresh start.
The “camp” had two areas where different organisations were providing services. Near the gate were a group with a shower van, hot tea and snacks. Later in the day, an NGO handing out needed equipment and clothing would come by to find out what people were in need of and another with packed lunches. Another area, a 10 minute walk down a mud track, had been cleared and made into a social area. There was a covered area made of rough branches, a couple of structures from palettes and tarps which served as shops and restaurants and another that was a tea stand. This area is where Roots has showers, a water point and where we set up phone charging each day. Huge tents get unpacked an erected in just a few minutes, with a generator powering charging tables and a heater, with partner organisation No Border Medics next door providing medical care in privacy.
We refer to it as “going to camp”, but that is a generous term for a large expanse of ground, edged by a stinking ditch, with a few spindly trees here and there, and areas of spiky weeds. People have tents in different areas, trying to create a bit of privacy with tarpaulins strung between them. Piles of rubbish await being burnt for warmth as the temperatures plummet towards nighttime.
The people staying here are people-on-the-move, numbering roughly 150 at that time. They come from countries including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan, all with different backgrounds and stories, different journeys behind them. Many of them will have crossed oceans already, in dangerous vessels, many of them will have been illegally pushed back to Turkiye or Libya. All of them are hoping to reach the UK - whether because of language skills, family ties, or belief that the UK will provide a warm welcome and a fresh start.
The “camp” had two areas where different organisations were providing services. Near the gate were a group with a shower van, hot tea and snacks. Later in the day, an NGO handing out needed equipment and clothing would come by to find out what people were in need of and another with packed lunches. Another area, a 10 minute walk down a mud track, had been cleared and made into a social area. There was a covered area made of rough branches, a couple of structures from palettes and tarps which served as shops and restaurants and another that was a tea stand. This area is where Roots has showers, a water point and where we set up phone charging each day. Huge tents get unpacked an erected in just a few minutes, with a generator powering charging tables and a heater, with partner organisation No Border Medics next door providing medical care in privacy.
Living in a tent in winter is horrible. The cold, lack of hygiene and comfort are evident, but before the eviction by the French authorities, at least there was some semblance of routine and structure.
A man sits alone on an office chair in the middle of the waste ground. Photo Credit: Hannah Parry
As we prepared to go to camp on Thursday morning, messages whizzed around. There had been an eviction, what should we do? Showing solidarity with the people and being in attendance could be useful, but getting in trouble with the authorities ourselves could jeopardise the organisation. Human Rights Observers were there, monitoring the behaviour and recording illegal and extreme actions.
The authorities used tear gas, destroyed tents and personal belongings and used heavy machinery to tear up not only the structures of the social area, but the very ground itself to prevent rebuilding and continued activities. The shocking violence of this left a mark with us all that day. We went later in the day and offered charging and met with people. Everyone I spoke to was in shock. Some had had enough warning to gather their things, many had faced similar things before, but many agreed that the methods used by the French were worse than in other countries.
“We have no choice, we’re not going to go anywhere else, so why make it so hard?” one man from Pakistan asked, he lived near the Afghan border and had been approached by the Taliban, and was hoping to join two brothers in England.
The authorities used tear gas, destroyed tents and personal belongings and used heavy machinery to tear up not only the structures of the social area, but the very ground itself to prevent rebuilding and continued activities. The shocking violence of this left a mark with us all that day. We went later in the day and offered charging and met with people. Everyone I spoke to was in shock. Some had had enough warning to gather their things, many had faced similar things before, but many agreed that the methods used by the French were worse than in other countries.
“We have no choice, we’re not going to go anywhere else, so why make it so hard?” one man from Pakistan asked, he lived near the Afghan border and had been approached by the Taliban, and was hoping to join two brothers in England.
After the eviction. The ground ploughed up so that the showers are unuseable. The structures that provided comfort have been flattened. Photo Credit: Roots
People were relieved to be able to charge their phones, a service that Roots offers every single day. And that was part of our act of solidarity - the authorities destroy, we rebuild. Friday was spent with shovels and rakes, pick axes and two trailers, levelling and clearing ground in a new area, moving gravel to ensure it doesn’t become waterlogged and moving the showers and water points to useful places. As other organisations provided materials for people to rebuild their temporary homes, the futility of police brutality was plain to see.
But why? That’s always the question I fail to answer.
Because of politics - France receives $75 million from the UK to keep the “problem” of asylum seekers on French soil.
Racism - Safe and legal routes were provided for people fleeing war in Ukraine. What’s the difference between that war and the one in Syria? Just the colour of the people fleeing.
Misinformation - the public is led to believe that Britain can’t afford to accept more people, yet if people were allowed to work instead of being confined to hotels or camps, there would be a lesser cost to the UK, whilst numbers of people arriving to claim asylum was higher in 2002 that it was last year.
There is no doubt in my mind - the solution to easing the hardship of people forced to flee is to provide safe and legal routes to claim asylum, as were provided for Ukrainian refugees. Let people apply, their claims processed in a timely manner, and let them work while they are waiting.
If you too think that spending huge amounts of money causing physical and emotional harm to people is wrong, please get involved. Donate to Roots, write to your MP, follow Refugee Council on social media to stay informed. Comment below with thoughts or questions.
But why? That’s always the question I fail to answer.
Because of politics - France receives $75 million from the UK to keep the “problem” of asylum seekers on French soil.
Racism - Safe and legal routes were provided for people fleeing war in Ukraine. What’s the difference between that war and the one in Syria? Just the colour of the people fleeing.
Misinformation - the public is led to believe that Britain can’t afford to accept more people, yet if people were allowed to work instead of being confined to hotels or camps, there would be a lesser cost to the UK, whilst numbers of people arriving to claim asylum was higher in 2002 that it was last year.
There is no doubt in my mind - the solution to easing the hardship of people forced to flee is to provide safe and legal routes to claim asylum, as were provided for Ukrainian refugees. Let people apply, their claims processed in a timely manner, and let them work while they are waiting.
If you too think that spending huge amounts of money causing physical and emotional harm to people is wrong, please get involved. Donate to Roots, write to your MP, follow Refugee Council on social media to stay informed. Comment below with thoughts or questions.
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