CSAN delegation visit Calais refugee camp

A delegation from CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) yesterday visited 'the Jungle', the refugee camp in Calais which is home to an estimated 4000 people. Hosted by Secours Catholique (Caritas France), CSAN's French sister organisation, the delegation met with many of the people living and working in the camp.

With Europe facing a refugee crisis of unprecedented proportions, the delegation spoke with refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Sudan, who had been left with no alternative other than to flee the war, poverty and destruction which has enveloped their home countries. They made it clear to the CSAN delegation that their only ask was to be allowed live in safety and to have the opportunity to build a life for themselves and their families, free from the fear and violence which had driven them from their homes.

Following the visit, Helen O'Brien, Chief Executive of CSAN, said: "On a day on which the Pope spoke to the US Congress about the need to respond to the refugee crisis in ways which are humane, just and fraternal, we arrived in 'the Jungle' and found a community who welcomed us as neighbours. We spoke to them, we listened to them, we ate with them, and we learned of their simple wish to re-build their lives in safety and with dignity.

This is not an issue to which we can remain unconcerned. This is a local issue; this is our issue and our responsibility. We must do more, and we must do it urgently."

Sister Lynda Dearlove, CSAN Trustee and a member of the delegation, said: "We can no longer ignore what is happening in Calais. Calais is just over 20 miles from UK shores, yet we have witnessed the desperate plight of refugees living in the most inhumane of conditions; unable to access the safety and sanctuary which they so urgently require.

They are people for whom the risks of staying in their home countries were far greater than the risks of leaving. They are a symptom of the lack of safe and legal routes to safety in the UK, a symptom which cannot be remedied by building ever higher fences."

In order to fully address the on-going and ever-worsening crisis, CSAN is calling for:

· The immediate convention of talks between the UK and French governments to develop and implement an enduring solution to the crisis in Calais.

· The expansion of safe and legal pathways to the UK, so that refugees are not forced to undertake dangerous journeys in order to seek the sanctuary they require.

· The creation of a fair and just asylum system, which ensures the maintenance of human dignity at every stage of the process.

Visit www.csan.org.uk for more information.

See ICN 20 September 2105 Eyewitness: Visit to the 'Jungle' in Calais www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=28349