180 coats distributed in Calais
On Saturday we gave out more than 180 of these warm jackets to refugees in Calais, and boy were they badly needed. A lot of the refugees in the queues were newly-arrived in northern France, and dressed in drastically inadequate clothes like t shirts, thin cotton jumps, and bits of light sportswear. Clothing like this is no use against the bitterly cold winds and rain that whip into Calais at this time of year, and you could see many of the guys were freezing. It felt quite sombre compared to usual distributions, because at the request to guys observing Ramadan, …
Surge in anti-refugee activity: new analysis
The Times has published a highly relevant and informative article about the increase in anti-refugee activity in the UK. As the article is behind a paywall the key points are summarised below. Hard-right protesters visited hotels housing asylum seekers 253 times last year amid a surge in anti-migrant activity across the UK, Dame Sara Khan, the government’s commissioner for countering extremism, said a neo-Nazi group behind some of the anti-migrant protests had been allowed to flourish owing to inaction from ministers. The government failed to respond to a warning by Khan and Sir Mark Rowley, now the commissioner of the …
Jenga – Care4Calais style!
Today in Calais I met a rock star. I was playing Jenga with Adil, a Sudanese refugee in his twenties. It was our special Care4Calais version of Jenga, which doubles as a learning English quiz. The questions are things like ‘what’s your favourite colour?’ and ‘who’s your favourite person in the world?’ Multi tasking and having fun. Some of Adil’s replies were so funny. Could he play an instrument? Oh yes, electric guitar – didn’t I know he was a rockstar back in Sudan. Naively at first I thought he was serious, and he roared with laughter. Next – his …
Mastering the Art of the Hijab
When you’re supporting refugees, you learn that if a lady asks if you can get her a hijab, you need to be flexible. Last week I got a request from a woman refugee at a hotel, so I grabbed a few of my own spare ones, plus a selection of scarves. I guessed correctly that people might be shy about asking, but when they saw that we could help with them, several would come forward; by the end I had given out all the ones I took. But I still hadn’t sorted out the lady who first asked. She was …
Our volunteers are helping freezing refugees – can you?
Early this morning I checked the temperature where I live. It was minus six degrees; the streets all around were covered in an icy covering of frost. And yet today in my town, and places all around the country men, women and children refugees will be walking the streets in thin clothes, with Home Office-issue flip-flops on their feet. I know this is true because right now my volunteer group is working round the clock to arrange and sorting distributions of warm clothes for refugees in our area. To see people coming in shivering, their feet clearly chilled to the …
Meet Faisal, refugee and aspiring journalist
When he lived in Afghanistan, Faisal dreamed of becoming a journalist, but boys his age were being forcibly recruited by the Taliban and similar outfits. Although he held out, keeping his head down and hanging onto his ambition as long as he could, he knew thart if he didn’t leave, he would eventually be forced to join “them”. And so he packed his dreams and a few possessions, and set off to make the long journey to Europe, where he believed he would be able to lead the life he wished for. I met him in Calais when …
This wonderful gift brightened our day in Calais
Yesterday we were going through our mail at the Calais warehouse when we noticed a mysterious, lumpy package from the UK. Opening it, we found dozens of EU-plug phone chargers, a power bank and a bag of Euros and cents – and a note explaining where it had come from. It turned out they were from some young refugees – all under 18 and travelling by themselves – who had crossed the Channel. Realising the stuff was unusable in the UK, they had saved it all so they could send it back for refugees in France. Connie, a former C4C …
Inspiration for 2023 and beyond!
It has been a tough year for anyone who cares about refugees, but there are so many good, compassionate people out here who support them, and make good news. We can forget to pause and reflect on the success stories and good news. So here to consider in this quiet time between Christmas and the New Year, are ten inspiring refugee stories from 2022 to warm your heart. 1 Omar wins Student of the Year! Omar, who we first met in Calais two years ago, had no formal schooling. He couldn’t read or write, let alone use a PC, and …
Meet Elizabeth, a hero changing refugee lives with tech
This is Elizabeth, a really wonderful person who has literally changed the lives of some refugees in the North East. She helps many of the refugees we support here get access to computers, which can make a huge difference to them. We always want to help when people ask us for tablets, laptops and computers, and one of our volunteers, Sarah, noticed that Elizabeth had donated some to Care4Calais. Sarah got in touch, and now we have a great relationship with a rather remarkable woman. Elizabeth runs a computer repair and assistance service, and is often asked by customers if …
A new coat made this refugee feel first class!
This week in Calais we gave out 300 brand new winter coats to refugees who sleep outside. It wasn’t a minute too soon as temperatures are dropping and the nights here are long and cold. The highlight of my day was a guy who found the coats were brand new and said “Today I am smart, I go first class!” He asked me to take his photo, so here it is. The other major benefit of new coats is we buy ones that are waterproof, breathable, have warm linings and a hood. It matters when you are outside 24/7. I …