The summer of 2021 marks five years since the peak of the so-called Calais ‘Jungle’ camp, which first emerged in 2015, with its population reaching approximately 10,000 residents in the summer of 2016.
This report provides an overview of the political background which led to the build-up of a bottleneck in northern France and the emergence of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp. The report illustrates what the camp was like, and how and why the camp was eventually flattened to the ground. We then summarise key trends which unfolded in the area in the years of the camp’s aftermath, as well as addressing the questions of why the situation has not yet been resolved and why the human suffering in the area persists. We close off the report with a chapter discussing what needs to happen next and provide our concluding remarks
L’été 2021 marque le cinquième anniversaire de l’apogée du camp de réfugiés de Calais, plus connu sous le nom de la grande « jungle ». Apparu en 2015, le camp a atteint son paroxysme durant l’été 2016 avec près de 10,000 résidents.
Ce rapport donne un aperçu du contexte politique qui a conduit à la constitution d’un goulet d’étranglement dans le nord de la France et à l’émergence du camp de la « Jungle » de Calais. Le rapport raconte à quoi ressemblait le camp, et comment et pourquoi le camp a finalement été démoli. Le rapport résume ensuite les principales tendances qui se sont déroulées dans la région au cours des années 2016-2021, tout en abordant les questions de savoir pourquoi la situation n’a pas encore été résolue et pourquoi la souffrance humaine dans la région persiste. Nous clôturons le rapport avec un chapitre discutant de ce qui doit se passer ensuite et présentons nos remarques de conclusion.
Summary: At a time when political leaders are openly questioning the reception or care of unaccompanied minors, RRE and partners are reporting on the violations of the rights that these children suffer at the French borders. France must double its efforts to protect them. It is a legal obligation to ensure that these very vulnerable children have access to protection in France. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has examined a report submitted by RRE and partner associations in relation to France’s breaches of its obligations in terms of the protection of isolated minors at the borders. We call on the French authorities to put in place immediate measures to ensure that these children have effective access to child protection, in accordance with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Summary: A l’heure où des responsables politiques remettent ouvertement en cause l’accueil ou la prise en charge des mineur.e.s isolé.e.s étranger.e.s, nous faisons état des violations des droits que ces enfants subissent aux frontières françaises. La France doit redoubler d’efforts pour les protéger. C’est une obligation légale d’assurer que ces enfants très vulnérables aient accès à la protection dans notre pays. Le Comité des droits de l’enfant examine cette semaine le rapport transmis par nos associations sur les manquements de la France à ses obligations en matière de protection des mineur.e.s isolés.e.s aux frontières. Nous demandons aux autorités françaises de mettre en place des mesures immédiates afin d’assurer à ces enfants un accès effectif à la protection de l’enfance, conformément à la Convention internationale des droits de l’enfant.
Summary: With the spread of Covid-19, displaced people in northern France are faced with yet another crisis. Their pre-existing poor living conditions have left them in an exceptionally vulnerable position, and the measures taken by the French state during this emergency have not adequately protected people. This report draws on data collated by the Human Rights Observers (HRO) over the three-month period of April – June 2020. It sets out the context in northern France and analyses the state response to Covid-19, and makes a number of recommendations to the French state and the EU institutions
Summary: Les personnes exilées dans le nord de la France sont confronté.e.s à une crise multiple. Aujourd’hui, et comme depuis plus de vingt ans, des hommes, femmes et enfants (sur)vivent dans des campements informels à Calais, Grande-Synthe et ailleurs. Ce rapport s’intéresse à la situation de Calais et de Grande-Synthe et s’appuie sur des données collectées par HRO pendant trois mois, d’avril à juin 2020. Il présente le contexte actuel dans le nord de la France et les répercussions de la pandémie de la Covid-19, donne un aperçu des observations faites par HRO et émet des recommandations.
Summary: In April 2020, during the unprecedented challenges brought on by the Covid-19 health crisis across Europe, Refugee Rights Europe in partnership with Help Refugees and Human Rights Observers sough to produce an updated version of the summary report originally published to mark the occasion of the two-year milestone since the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp. This report provides an overview of the human rights situation which has been unfolding in northern France over the past few decades, and which continues today, and reaches new depths of crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report also makes a number of recommendations in its final section, arguing that a different reality can and must be possible.
Summary: En avril 2020, face à l’épidémie de Covid-19 en Europe et aux défis sans précédents auxquels il faut faire face, Refugee Rights Europe, en partenariat avec Help Refugees et Human Rights Observers, a décidé de mettre à jour ce rapport publié pour la première fois deux ans après le démantèlement de la « jungle » de Calais, en 2018. Ce rapport donne un aperçu de l’état d’extrême dénuement dans laquelle se trouve les personnes exilées et de la situation dramatique des droits humains dans le nord de la France, exacerbés par l’épidémie actuelle de Covid-19.
Summary: In the context of increased ‘securitisation’ at the British border, the fundamental rights of unaccompanied children are violated on a daily basis in Northern France. Safeguarding and protection systems appear to be entirely excluded from the current deterrence-based approach, despite national and international obligations to uphold the rights of the child. This report provides an in-depth on the ground update of the ongoing situation for children in Northern France, many of whom hope to reach the UK, but who keep finding themselves trapped between the sealed British border and the heavy-handed approach of the French authorities.
Summary: The potential of the UK’s family reunion provisions being lowered following Brexit raises severe concerns about the safety of these children trapped at Britain’s doorstep, in particular given the sub-standard conditions and lack of safeguarding structures which leave children at particularly high risk of trafficking and other forms of abuse. In this context, we’re launching a joint report with Refugee Youth Service, Refugee Women’s Centre, Help Refugees and Safe Passage, providing an on-the-ground update of the ongoing situation for children in northern France, who keep finding themselves trapped between the securitised British border and the heavy-handed approach of French authorities.
Summary: On the occasion of the two-year milestone since the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp, Refugee Rights Europe and Help Refugees release a new report highlighting the human rights situation which has been unfolding in northern France over the past few decades. The report highlights many years of human suffering, characterised by precarity, rough-sleeping, dangerous and unauthorised border-crossings, and what appears to be excessive police violence. After decades of encampments and evictions, and two years on from the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp, it is evident that the state approach tried so far is simply not working.
Summary: Despite promises from President Macron to get refugees “off the streets, out of the woods” by the end of 2017, large numbers of displaced people remain on the streets of Paris in freezing temperatures with little to no access to appropriate sanitation facilities, including large numbers who had claimed asylum in France. In this context, Refugee Rights Europe set out to investigate and document the situation in Paris, building on our pilot study from January 2017. The research took place from 27 to 30 January 2018. Over this period, Refugee Rights Europe’s researchers conducted 283 surveys in English, Amharic, Arabic, Pashto, Persian and Tigrinya. The research findings are outlined in this report.
Summary: Malgré les promesses faites par le président Macron de ne plus voir de réfugiés « dans les rues ou dans les bois dès 2018 » et les expulsions continues des camps de fortune à Paris, un nombre important de personnes déplacées sont toujours forcés de dormir dans les rues de Paris. Dans ce contexte, Refugee Rights Europe a entrepris d’enquêter et de documenter la situation à Paris, en nous appuyant sur notre étude pilote de janvier 2017. La recherche a eu lieu du 27 au 30 janvier 2018. Pendant cette période, les chercheurs on mené 283 enquêtes en anglais, en amharique, en arabe, en pachto, en persan et en tigrinya. Les résultats de la recherche sont décrits dans ce rapport.
Summary: Twelve months after the demolition of the so-called ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais, several hundred refugees and displaced people continue to reside in the region. Twelve Months On investigates a number of issues faced by these individuals, including police and citizen violence, health conditions, and people’s access to information and legal advice. The report is based on semi-structured interviews with 233 individuals – some 33% of the displaced people thought to be living in the area. This makes it the largest study of its kind in Calais and the surrounding area since the camp’s demolition.
Summary: Six months after the demolition of the so-called ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais, hundreds of refugees and displaced people continue to reside in the region. Six Months On investigates the issues that both adults and minors face, including police and citizen violence, and an absence of legal advice. The report is based on interviews with 213 individuals – some 43% of the displaced people thought to be living in the region, including 42% of estimated minors. This makes it the largest study of its kind in Calais and the surrounding area since the camp’s demolition.
Summary: Six mois après la démolition du camp «Jungle» à Calais, des centaines de réfugiés et personnes déplacées continuent de résider dans la région. Le rapport Six Mois Plus Tard aborde les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les adultes et les mineurs dans la région, y compris les violences policières et citoyenne, et l’absence de conseils juridiques. Le rapport est basé sur des entretiens avec 213 personnes – soit environ 43% des personnes déplacées qui vivent dans la région, dont 42% des mineurs estimés. Cela en fait la plus grande étude de ce genre à Calais et dans les environs depuis la démolition du camp.
Summary: Life on the Streets documents the issues faced by refugees and displaced people sleeping rough in Paris. It investigates recent media reports of police violence, and the theft of tents, sleeping bags and blankets by the French authorities and others.
The report is based on interviews with 342 individuals in Paris, conducted in late January 2017, in partnership with Paris Refugee Ground Support and Denise Charlton Associates.
Summary: Still Here follows on from Refugee Right Europe’s previous Calais reports, The Long Wait and Still Waiting, to document and analyse the dynamics at play in the camp. It focuses in particular on the facilities available, and its residents’ future plans following the camp’s imminent eviction. The report is based on interviews with 429 people living in the camp, approximately 4.2% of its total population, conducted in September and October 2016 in partnership with the Refugee Info Bus.
Summary: Still Waiting investigates some key themes emerging from Refugee Rights Europe’s previous report from the Calais camp. In particular, it focuses on the questions of “Why do you want to go to the UK?” and “What information is most important to you?”. Conducted in July and August 2016, in partnership with the Refugee Info Bus, researchers surveyed 589 camp residents – approximately 6.5% of total inhabitants at the time.
Summary: The “Other” Camp focuses on the Dunkirk refugee camp in Grand-Synthe. Less talked about than its larger relative in Calais, the Dunkirk camp is often overlooked. This data was collected by the Dunkirk Legal Support Team, and analysed and presented by Refugee Rights Europe. Research was conducted in March and April 2016, when 506 individuals were surveyed – roughly 30% of the camp’s estimated population of 1,700.
Summary: Refugee Rights Europe’s first qualitative report The Unknown Knowns, contains observations from five discrete settlements dotted around the Calais region. This report sheds light on living conditions within the smaller camps, and raises serious concerns about human rights infringements and unmet humanitarian standards.
Summary: Since the publication of The Long Wait, we have processed and analysed additional data relating to women in Calais, which we are presenting in this report. Media coverage consistently tends to highlight that the majority of residents in the Calais camp are men and boys, while reports and news stories relating to women and girls in the settlement are few and far between. This report hence aims to fill some of the information gaps relating to these women. It sheds light on the specific adversities they face, including gender-based violence, a lack of access to reproductive healthcare, and an absence of safety and security, amongst others.
Summary: In February 2016, the Refugee Rights Europe conducted a survey in the informal camp in Calais. In total, we spoke to 870 men, women and children – about 15% of the camp’s total residents – making this the largest independent data collection to be carried out in Calais to date. The United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) collects statistics in official refugee camps. However, due to the unrecognised nature of the settlement in Calais, it has not been subject to the same in-depth analysis. Prior to our study, this sort of data simply didn’t exist. We set out to help fill this gap. Our report contains data relating to the camp’s demographic composition, living conditions, potential human rights violations occurring among residents, and their future plans and aspirations.
Summary: Depuis trop longtemps, les politiques menées par le Royaume-Uni en matière de contrôle aux frontières restreignent les voies d’accès sûres et légales vers ce pays ainsi que l’accès à la demande d’asile. Ces politiques ont directement contribué à la crise humanitaire actuelle dans le Nord de la France, et ont entrainé une augmentation du nombre de traversées dangereuses et risquées de la Manche. Les coûts financiers, humains et moraux de ces politiques sont incontestables. Les personnes exilées prises au piège dans le nord de la France font face à des violences, des abus, des conditions de vie inhumaines et dégradantes et des expulsions à répétition, tandis que le nombre de décès tragiques à la frontière est de plus en plus élevé. Nous avons donc recherché et publié un rapport qui présente succinctement la nécessité d'alternatives à l'approche actuelle du ministère de l'Intérieur britannique visant à militariser davantage les frontières maritimes et terrestres et à accélérer les retours. Le rapport appelle le Royaume-Uni à adopter une approche plus humaine et organisée des demandes d'asile et des responsabilités en matière de protection.