We’re taking the government to court to stop pushbacks
We’re proud to say we’ve officially begun our legal action against this Government’s plan to cruelly push back flimsy boats at sea. We’re making our challenge alongside the PCS Union who represent Border Force’s own officials, and we’re doing this on behalf of all refugees whose lives will be put in more danger if they try to cross the channel and get pushed back. Pushbacks are the forcible turning around of boats carrying refugees to stop them from reaching a country’s border. Pushbacks have led to deaths in other countries and we don’t want them to turn the English Channel …
Problems at a Calais eviction
Despite a promise made just eight weeks ago to allow people to collect their belongings when evictions are carried out, this morning the French police formed a cordon around a settlement of around 200 people, herded them out and seized their possessions. Official reports say the police arrived at the usual time of 9.30am, but refugees have told us that the time was 7am, which meant they were utterly unprepared. Violence broke out between refugees and police as refugees tried to retrieve possessions such as clothes and phones. There are reports of tear gas, rubber bullets and batons being …
A visit from Dr Rosena
This week we were delighted to welcome to Calais Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health and MP for Tooting in London. She spent the last few days working with our team and talking to refugees. She found out how refugees’ mental health is impacted by the appalling conditions that they’re forced to live in. When she went out on distributions – food packs in Calais clothing packs in Dunkirk – she was shocked by some of the horrors they endured. Three children she met had hardly eaten for almost two days, and wouldn’t have been eating …
Were taking the government to court over pushbacks
We’re taking the Government to court to stop dangerous push backs of flimsy boats in the Channel – and we need your support. We’re proud to be bringing this claim alongside the PCS Union, who represent Border Force’s own officials. They’re aghast at the thought that they will be forced to implement such a cruel and inhumane policy. Push backs are incredibly dangerous, and risk lives at sea. Following the recent horrific drownings of 27 people in the Channel, it is simply unthinkable that anything be done to risk further loss of life. But before we go ahead, we have …
Happy Christmas!
Christmas arrived with a big bang this weekend as our Care4Calais group in Reading held a brilliant Christmas party for refugees. There was such a wonderful spirit of love and friendship between everyone, and I really felt that we all brought the true meaning of the season to life. We had a jolly Father Christmas who gave out pyjamas to the children, and a puppet company who put on a special Christmas show that the children loved. With lots of lovely, warming hot chocolate, and plenty of indulgent nibbles, it was a wonderful introduction to an English Christmas for these …
Many more refugee lives lost off the French coast
We are devastated to hear that as many as 24 more people have died attempting to cross the English Channel to the UK. According to news reports from France, at 2 o’ clock this afternoon a fisherman raised the alarm after finding bodies floating in the sea off Calais. Reports say that between five and 24 people died in the water. This horrific news comes after an autumn in which five refugee have died, and five more been lost at sea on the UK-France border. Our hearts go out to family and friends of those lost today, and indeed …
Fatemah’s family and the Polish border: update
Yesterday we received news from Fatemah and her family, Iraqi refugees stranded in Belarus who Care4Calais is helping. Although media reports suggest things are improving, the family is terrified of what might now happen to them. Their situation is extremely dangerous, and they need support. Fatemah was on the border near the Polish town of Bialowieza with with her dad and three children, but they became separated in attacks by Bielarussian border guards, as we previously reported. Fatemah is with her son and daughter, and her dad has her other son. Her husband Aras remains in Dubai. Fatemah has …
Another shocking eviction at Dunkirk
Today 300 French police brutally evicted hundreds of refugees, including many families with young children, from the camp in Dunkirk. Officers armed with riot shields surrounded the camp early on Tuesday morning. Surprised and alarmed, refugees had to pack their belongings hurriedly, fearful of tents being slashed and possessions taken. Between 1000 and 1500 people were estimated to be living in the Dunkirk camp. As we reported on Sunday, living conditions have become atrocious, with overcrowding worsening the muddy ground, and the lack of shelter exposing tents to the wind. Having endured life there, refugees were now bussed off …