France bans food and drink distributions in Calais

We have terrible news from Calais. As of today the French government has forbidden distributions of food or drink in the town. This will make it the only city in the country where it’s illegal to distribute food on the streets, in what is a clear act of aggression towards the hundreds of vulnerable refugees living in Calais.

The French state has declared that it will now be the only actor allowed to distribute meals. However, our experience to date is that they are not able to cater to everyone. Just this week we witnessed a government food distribution where supplies ran out with approximately 25% of people going unfed, leading to serious unrest.

Since March this year we have distributed over 2,000 group food packs providing over 20,000 meals, and many people have come to rely on our distributions. If charities are blocked from helping, people will go hungry. Tensions are already high and more people are arriving in Calais.

It is not yet clear whether this ban will apply to locations on the edge of the town. We will keep you informed.

To support our work go to care4calais.org