Reported on 14.05.2025
“They are a big group staying here in the jungle in Calais City. The problem is that the police came, but they didn’t wear police uniforms. They didn’t answer to them or speak with them. After that a police bus came, a black one. They just started to hit everyone, also people sleeping in the tents. The police used pepper spray. It was dark at night.”
“They gassed and sprayed the tent, pillow, mattress, sleeping bags. After that no one could touch it, they were to allergic, nobody can use it. He says, after that we can’t use anything. It’s like feeling scratching or burning.”
“They were asleep, but not all the group was asleep. Someone woke up and saw that the police was coming, He shouted “Hey! Police is coming, wake up!” But you know, when you just woke up you can’t do anything fast. But someone had a fast reaction, ran away. But someone was asleep. Because not all of them sleep together. The police started hitting all of them while they were sleeping. They opened their eyes from being hit by the police.”
“But the one who woke up and went, someone started to hit him for there. With the black thing from the police and spray in the eyes.”
“After they hit them, they said: “You should look for another place, you can’t stay in this place.”
“There is another one in the group, he’s sick, police hit him too much, he can’t walk. He tried to call an ambulance. The ambulance came, but they said to him that he didn’t have papers. He is from Africa. But they took him to the hospital. In the emergency ward nobody helped him, they just left him like that for a long time. He was worried and contacted a friend. He went back, because nobody helped him. Now he’s sick and staying tired in the jungle.
(Testimony shared in Arabic and mediated by a translator)