Volunteers like Tia will get us through this crisis
This is Tia. Tia is just 18 years old and, despite her understated style, Tia is one of the most confident and capable volunteers I have ever met. In her time with Care4Calais, Tia has mastered fixing refugees bikes, running (and starting) our generators – even the big one (!) – carrying out vehicle maintenance checks and, unexpectedly, fixing hair clippers. And just by-the-by she is fluent in French. However the true strength of Tia is her amazing attitude. When I asked her how she felt about Covid-19 being in the camps this is what she said: “There are other places …
Covid-19: Food still the top priority for refugees
Today we talked to refugees to assess if food is still the highest need. The answer was a definite ‘yes’. They showed us what the state provides – a cheese and ham sandwich (to Muslims) plus a yoghurt and an apple. Not much to last a day. We are continuing to provide food packs for cooking at all Calais sites and in Dunkirk. It’s getting harder every day and we’ve had to cease non essential services such as hair cutting and hot drinks. Today for the first time the French authorities came to one site and offered voluntary places at …
A COVID-19 humanitarian disaster is imminent among refugees
Two cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among refugees in Calais, and there is imminent danger of a humanitarian disaster. Care4Calais urges the French authorities to step in and provide somewhere for migrants to stay, where they can practice social distancing, self-isolation and safe hand-washing Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley said: “Based on the rates of transmission seen elsewhere, in four weeks, there could be more than 300 cases.” …
Refugees are more scared of starving than of coronavirus
This weekend we took 50 big family food parcels and 480 blankets to Dunkirk. The food situation there is deteriorating rapidly as volunteers pull out and services shut down. We distributed the food packs by going into the site and giving tickets to families or groups who cook together. Then the people bring the ticket to our van to collect the food parcel and blankets. My job this week was to wait with the van for them to arrive. I’ve done this before so was I not concerned with our team being small, but the current food shortage made the …
Meet Pauline, a grandmother on the front line
My name is Pauline and I am a 58 year old retired teacher and grandmother currently volunteering in Calais. Refugees currently residing in Northern France and Belgium are being further marginalised due to the Covid-19 crisis. We’re seeing instances of true hunger; drinking water supplies are in jeopardy; government and charitable provision is being cut back; and the gap between the fortunate and the unfortunate has widened. Like many others, I find such disparity unacceptable and Care4Calais has given me an opportunity to act, to stay ‘on the right side of history’, and to enrich my own life with a …
URGENT APPEAL – FOOD – PLEASE SHARE
The food supply for refugees in Calais and Dunkirk has drastically reduced. Some associations have pulled out and the French state have scaled back what they provide. Certain sites are reporting drinking water shortages. Today we spent €1,300 on food. We cannot sustain this for long. We provided 250 food packs for men in Calais and tomorrow we will take family food packs to Dunkirk. We urgently need supplies of – dried fruit and nuts – cereal bars – biscuits – long life milk – tinned tuna We need funds to buy the above locally along with supplies of fresh …
Migrant evictions – March update
Nothing happened overnight. It was tense but quiet. We have heard from a journalist that the French Embassy says that something is in progress to put migrants in containment centres, but they are not ready yet. The prefecture in Dunkirk is tweeting that the migrants are going to go into centres, but that it will be voluntarily. It could be an excuse. If the migrants move voluntarily and the authorities then cut down on food and stop showers they can’t be criticised, or if it’s voluntary and the refugees don’t go, the authorities can say: “No-one can say we are …
Online crochet workshops offer a lesson in human empathy
Charlie Pearson visited refugee camps in Calais in 2016, and returned again in January this year. She has now launched a new project to crochet hats not just for the benefit of the people who will wear them, but for the wellbeing of those who are stuck in isolation because of the coronavirus. She has even roped in her grandparents – both in their 80s and in self-isolation – to make pompoms! After the first visit she raised £1800 for refugees charities, but also realised there was a need to help people at home make a connection with the refugees. …
Concerns over refugees being moved to containment centres
We’ve heard today that refugees in Calais and Dunkirk will be moved to ‘containment centres’ somewhere in Pas de Calais region – possibly as soon as Friday. Although there is a clear and very urgent need for improved living conditions, this announcement raises some serious concerns: Will the move be forcible or will people be given a choice? Without the independent oversight of charities and associations how will people’s rights be protected and their safety ensured? When the Calais camp was cleared in Oct 2016 the operation was put together quickly and some of the places people were sent to were …