Police destroy camps in Dunkirk

My heart dropped this morning. I received distressed phone calls from several sources telling me what had happened. The police arrived early to woodlands in Dunkirk where they woke up a large number of Pakistani refugees and made them leave their tents, allowing them to grab only a few emergency things, and proceeded to destroy everything left.

These men had nothing, yet had managed to build a little community hidden in woodland that they were able to call home for the last two months. They had a communal cooking area, with a fire where they made parathas and dishes from their homeland. They had areas for storing food, washing and drying clothes. They had a toilet tent and even a prayer area.

They invited us to join them last week and we shared dinner sat around the fire, with our hosts happy to be with friends and distract themselves from their harsh existence.

Sadly no more. Their home has been entirely flattened, the few personal belongings destroyed. My friend cried as he told me the photos of his family, which he carried with him on his terrible journey, were now gone.

This is an average day and sadly we receive these calls often. The worst part is we can no longer replace what these men have lost and need. Having just got through the very cold spells of the last few months, we have given out most of our sleeping bags and tents and we desperately need more.

Please help at www.care4calais.org/donate