Keeling people informed about Reanda in Calais

Here in Calais we were devastated when we heard the British government was telling more asylum seekers that they would be forcibly sent to Rwanda. Every day we meet refugees who are in the final stage of their journey from conflict ridden countries and from places where persecution, abuse and torture are rife. They think they will find understanding and safety in the UK; it’s horrible to think that they could end up being forced onto a plane and dumped in a country where they won’t be safe.

Over the last few weeks, we have been working hard to prepare as best we can. We have restarted leafleting in preparation for a dreaded second flight, spending every day walking around Calais and Dunkirk to locate every single refugee we can find in order to pass on the leaflet shown in the photo.

This leaflet gives the contact details of lawyers and others in the UK who work tirelessly to help every person who is under threat. Our volunteers carefully and patiently explain to each person that the leaflets need to be taken seriously. They tell them how important it is to remember the numbers by heart, or to write them on their arms, in case phones were taken from them on arrival in the UK. And they press home the necessity of calling without hesitation so the Care4Calais team in the UK can help them.

Thank you to every single volunteer who has contributed to this enormous effort. You are making a huge difference to real people’s lives.

To volunteer or donate, go to care4calais.org/get-involved/