Centrale Internationale: Calais: Between Hope and Frustration

Calais: Between Hope and Frustration

Charlotte FLORY and Nelly EA

The closing of England’s borders forces migrants to stay in Calais.

“This morning, a waitress refused to serve coffee to a Sudanese man and suggested he take a coffee to go. Exasperated, he threw it on her and broke the dishes that were on the bar.” This is the kind of story is becoming common in Calais. Italy does not stop immigrants before they land on its territory anymore and England has closed its borders like never before, so more and more people are stuck in Calais.

Local inhabitants feel both powerless and unsafe. English people no longer seem attracted by northern France because of the gloomy atmosphere created by the growth of violence. Even if 100 additional policemen have been promised to guarantee public safety, the flood of immigrants has led to violence. The number of thefts has increased as immigrants need cell phones to call their families and lights during the night... There are also fights between migrants for clandestine opportunities to cross the Channel.

To reach England, which they see as an Eldorado, immigrants will try anything, like grouping together to attack trucks. Every month 3000 people try to flee this way and this summer, policemen in Calais dedicated 80% of their time to issues linked to migrants. Associations also condemn police violence, saying that “migration is not a crime”.

The impact of this new wave of violence has remained relatively minor - only 7% of registered offences this year are linked to migrants - but the National Front, an extreme right-wing French political party, is taking advantage of the situation to rally people to their cause. Demonstrations are organised by “Sauvons Calais” - a branch of the National Front - during which slogans such as “Kick them out !” or “Migrants : danger, squalor, economic disaster” can be heard. Sometimes the National Front is even joined by neo-nazi groups.