Seeking Sanctuary appeals for solidarity with remaining refugees in Calais

Site of demolished church

Ben Bano and Phil Kerton from Seeking Sanctuary writes: The story of exiles currently and recently stuck in Calais has entered a new chapter, but they are all still in need, especially the young people. Judged solely by numerical data, the exercise to remove residents and clear the 'jungle' in Calais site was a success. The aim of officials to remove the camp before November became known at the start of September and people endured weeks of uncertainty before the eventual start date of 24 October was announced. Confusion and fear rose further a few days before the scheduled start date, when some details of the official plans were announced. Over 2000 people disappeared during this period to unknown destinations.

As winter draws in we will continue to work with local partners to provide aid to those in Dunkirk and scattered around the countryside, as well as to those who did move safely to official accommodation elsewhere in France. Please continue your generous support.

The removal process turned out to be highly controlled and impersonal, with little or no chance for people to ask questions or find out information about what was going on. In short, the authorities showed little or no sign of concern towards the well-being of refugees.

At dawn on the first day, a Monday, 60 coaches were lined up, with just previously accredited volunteers and journalists able to observe, with a very strong police presence. In a vast empty warehouse on the nearby commercial estate people joined one of four queues - adults, minors, families, vulnerable. Officials very briefly glanced at each person to decide that they were in the correct line and they were given coloured wrist bands for access to a specific coach. Full coaches departed for "Welcome and Orientation Centres" (with the French initials "CAO") for a month's shelter to consider their decision about applying for asylum in France.

This initial scanning process closed down after a few hours, with 3000 people processed - people were told to "Come back tomorrow".

People were also free to leave and go wherever they wanted, confirming that site clearance was of greater priority than providing humanitarian care. Over several days, some 5000 adults were removed, with the container dormitories being the first to be emptied. Unaccompanied minors sent to fill the vacant container beds - though these proved insufficient and youngsters were refused entry from noon on the third day. Tidying of the unofficial camp began, followed by demolition of vacant shelters, with a good number set on fire.

A hundred or more young people were left with no shelter. There were no contingency plans and volunteers got them into the odd school or religious shelter that was still standing - or lay with them under the motorway bridge at night. They had no protection from the state and those in the containers were engulfed in acrid smoke with inadequate food, no fresh water and with the daily cleaning of the portable toilets at an end. This continued, with charities pleading for the authorities to take responsibility and sort out problems.

Day 5 was even worse because the processing centre staff did not turn up and over 100 queueing children without wristbands were arrested without explanation - and later released with nowhere for shelter. The Prefect told media the next day the site was clear, causing almost all reporters to leave the site and fail to observe the treatment of the minors over the next 7 days. They were eventually being moved to 60 newly established centres on 3 November. And, promisingly, each coach also held UK immigration officials. A day later women and any young children who accompanied them went off to different centres, along with a few families, the vulnerable and a handful of residual children.

Official figures put the final totals at 5132 adults moved CAOs and 1932 minors (1818 unaccompanied)

Some CAOs are excellent and some, sadly, very poor. Local support networks have not had long to get going. Both adults and children have run off either through boredom or frustration at lack of useful communication - especially because the UK officials have gone away for a week without warning. Under French law they should really be looked after in establishments with appropriate staff and facilities and not left to wander the earth at risk from all sorts of danger, especially of being tempted into the grasp of huam traffickers.

These delays in the resettlement of migrant children are leaving some at risk of suicide.

Citizens UK said the pause in transfers of children to Britain from France has left many suffering a "significant deterioration" in their mental health. Of 40 children being supported by Citizens in France, one third have expressed suicidal thoughts and lack of care of their own life since the demolition, 75% have showed an alarming deterioration in mental health and 90% have reported increased anxiety.

A Home Office spokesperson said that children's eligibility under the Dublin regulation or Dubs amendment would be considered at the temporary centres in France and transfers would resume in the "coming days and weeks".

Seeking Sanctuary says that this not good enough. These vulnerable youngsters deserve clear communication in appropriate language and ACTION. Please publicise this chaos - especially to associations concerned with the welfare of children and of refugees - and contact MPs and peers to make your views known.

Here are two text messages from individuals in Centres:

"the place where we are living is good and good food, but I cannot eat as I am stressed and worried what will happen as I want to join my brother in UK"

"no, the information is so terrible, I do not feel too good at the moment because none of us can understand anything. when we ask the staff they dont speak English so we cannot communicate as the ones who know little English we cant understand. they only speak French and there are no interpreters, when i want to know about my papers or asylum then no-one can help and there is no-one. it is very helpless. none with us can understand each other because there is no-one to speak the language.."

About 'Seeking Sanctuary'. Almost all of the 8,000+ migrants still encamped in Calais in October 2016 have been moved away, hopefully to better accommodation. 1616 unaccompanied minors have joined others in secure temporary accommodation throughout France fror their cases to be processed and 300 have been moved to the UK. But around 1000 people remain in the camp near Dunkirk and more are hidden in the nearby countryside. 'Seeking Sanctuary' aims to raise awareness about their situation and is organising basic humanitarian assistance through Faith Communities and Community Organisations in partnership with experienced aid workers. Food and clothes are still needed by most of them, not least the scores of new arrivals who turn up weekly.

For further information on how you or your organisation can help, contact Ben Bano on 07887 651117 or Phil Kerton on 01474 873802. To check the latest news, visit: www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com.