Afghan man living in Calais
Reported on 11.11.2020
“I am from Afghanistan and have been living in the jungle in Calais for six months. People's behaviour towards refugees in France is positive and I am grateful to them, but I have a problem with the police. The French police have aggressive behaviour. In winter, it is cold, but they continue to harass and evict people. What we expect from the government is to put an end to this police behaviour so that people can have peace.”
We thought if we came here we'd be safe
Reported on 11.11.2020
“I am Chadian. I have been given permission to say what I want to say regarding the situation here, people like us.
I am an asylum seeker because there is a situation that made me leave my home. We arrived here in France, but we were not allowed to live here in France, so everything is complicated; you sleep in the street. We lack a lot of things but we have no choice.
They informed us that we have to leave the territory, otherwise we are sent home. if we hadn't had a problem, we wouldn't be here. If we came here - we asked the government for help - it's because we really need help. That's why we're here. If you want to send us home, that is to say, you who want to kill us. It's not our government, not our family, because we ran away from death.
We came here... We thought if we came here we'd be safe, but it’s actually quite the opposite. So if there is something that you can help us with - all we ask for is help. We live as human beings too: we need freedom and to live as everyone else.”
Tear gas used in Calais
Reported on 20.09.2020
“On several occasions during the last few weeks, riot policemen were taking a small isolated road next to the place where people in displacement were living; they sprayed tear gas on people who were walking, through the window of their vehicle without explanation or provocation.”
We can't find peace in Europe
Reported on 31.08.2020
“We’re in Europe, facing a difficult life. All of this, to live in dignity. But we can find peace in Europe. We risk our lives to reach Europe, because our country is under conflict and war. We couldn't find peace in our country as well, that is why we emigrated to Europe.
"We thought: maybe could we find peace in Europe? But we didn’t see any of this! We’re facing the biggest war in Europe, racism, fascism, our country is at war, and Europe is at fascist war. We’ve never thought that one day we’d arrive in Europe and face that situation. We are immigrants, we live in France, in Calais region, France didn’t accept us, that is why we try to get into England. All of this for a better future. I wish and hope you can help me in this situation.”
Police chase in Grande-Synthe
Reported on 30.07.2020
“On the night of July 30, I was chased by the police with several friends along a road. While running away, I fell on a fence that seriously injured my face (several stitches). Out of fear, I stayed hidden in the ditch for a long time. I saw one of my friends being caught and taken away by the police.”
Police violence against two people living in Grande Synthe
Reported on: 19.07.2020
“[On 11 July at 2am] My friend and I were brutalised by the police. I had a broken tooth. They also unleashed their dogs, whom attacked us without a muzzle.”
Destruction of tents in Grande-Synthe
Reported on 19.07.2020
“[On 16 July] four policemen came back to see us, they destroyed our tent. They were carrying a document, but we couldn’t understand why they did that.”
Police violence in Grande-Synthe
Reported on 19.07.2020
“[On 16 July] four officers of the national police came to wake us up kicking our tents, ridiculing us and calling us children.”
(Translated from Persian)
Arrest in Calais
Reported on 01.07.2020
Were you in the jungle this morning ?
“Yes, I was in the jungle [this morning] and the police arrested me for no reason and I am heartbroken, [...] I feel bad for this situation because we live in the jungle, we live in dirty places but sometimes the police bother us for no reason so I am very hurt by this bad thing.”
When they arrested you, did they explain why did they arrest you ?
“They didn't tell me why, but they told us "you have no documents". A lot of people in the jungle don't have documents, that's why we were arrested today for no reason. A lot of people are undocumented in the jungle, and a lot of people are homeless, a lot of people are unemployed, but we have to go to the UK, so sometimes that's what happens: the police bother us ... it's a very, very bad thing for us, you know? So I feel bad. We need rights for refugees and [migrants] from Calais.”