Conditions worsen in Calais as police perform 20 clearances every week

French authorities have ramped up their efforts to clear the makeshift refugee camps in Calais, carrying out around 20 eviction operations every week. The clearances may be pushing migrants to attempt to reach the United Kingdom (UK) by boat.

The Guardian, a UK-based newspaper, cited a forthcoming report by the Human Rights Observers and L’Auberge des Migrants, organisations that are documenting the situation of migrants in Calais. The report reveals that between November 2017 and November 2018, the police have performed 393 separate camp eviction operations in Calais. Around 155 of these clearances happened between October and September this year, a figure which is seven times higher than the number recorded during the summer.

The continuous evictions have left around 1,500 refugees – mostly young Afghan, Eritrean or Sudanese men – with no shelter or provisions. Many now sleep under bridges or in the woods.

The report brought together testimonies from refugees in Calais that highlight the perilous circumstances they find themselves in. Hlebi, a 22-year-old Eritrean, said that he and his friends had been sleeping in an open field as the police had confiscated their tents. Referring to the French police, he explained: “When they come we run away because they have beaten us before.”

One of his Eritrean friends, Ife, 27, has been trying to get to the UK for over a year. He said, “Most nights the police looking for us, sleeping is dangerous.”

Paul Leclerc from L’Auberge des Migrants told The Guardian that the conditions for migrants in Calais had worsened since the main refugee camp, known as the Jungle, was demolished in 2016. He added, “Many do not manage to sleep more than four hours a night; that in itself has severe psychological effects.”

The winter season is also taking its toll. Many cases of hypothermia have been documented. Maddy Allen, a field manager for the UK-based charity Help Refugees, reported that three cases of tuberculosis had recently been diagnosed. She also revealed that the frequent clearances of the makeshift camps in Calais are inflicting deep psychological suffering on the refugees.

Allen added, “It forces people to be constantly on the move. Tents once used to last six months, but because of this they now last barely six days. It’s an incredibly hostile environment at the moment, conditions are the worst they have ever been.”

Revealing the violence by the French police against refugees, the report also noted that nearly 1,000 complaints against police were lodged by migrants over the 12-month period, with 244 alleging beatings with batons or the use of tear gas.

The situation in Calais is driving many to try to cross the English Channel by boat. The Telegraph recently reported that the crossing of at least 28 boats had been interrupted by French authorities, while more than 110 migrants have been intercepted in British waters.

TMP – 7/12/2018

Photo: Edward Crawford/Shutterstock.  Calais, France. 10/28/16. French police stand guard during the evacuation of the Calais Jungle.