Even 5 years and more after the “Jungle”: Degrading treatment of migrants on the English Channel by France and Great Britain

dossier

“French authorities routinely subject adults and migrant children living in makeshift camps in the Calais region to degrading treatment, Human Rights Watch said in a B report released todayerects. Five years after French authorities demolished the massive migrant camp often referred to as the “Jungle,” more than 1,000 people are still living in camps in and around the city. The86-page report “Enforced Misery: The Degrading Treatment of Migrant Children and Adults in Northern France” published in October 2009 (“The Degrading Treatment of Migrant Children and Adults in Northern France”), documents repeated mass deportations, almost daily police harassment and restrictions on the provision of and access to humanitarian aid…” From the (French)Report from 10/7/21 from Human Rights Watch to their (English) report. See also – unchanged! – further reports:

• 18 dead in the English Channel in 2026, 1,200 people in hiding after deportation in France: Now ship and cameras from Frontex instead of a “one in, one out” deportation deal?
  • Refugees underground: 1,200 people went into hiding in France after being deported from the UK
    “Another deportation deal with catastrophic consequences: As a French politician anonymously revealed to the British daily newspaper Guardian, around 1,400 people were deported from Great Britain to France as part of the “One in, one out” agreement, which has been in force since August 2025. Of these, only 200 are still “in contact with the authorities.” In a report on Friday, the newspaper suggested that hundreds of people are believed to be choosing a life of illegality over the asylum process in France. However, France does not want to extend the agreement and is instead calling for a European solution. (…) For the research, Guardian reporters spoke to many of those affected: They said they had gone into hiding due to the hostility of the French authorities, the pressure to return to their unsafe countries of origin and the fear of being transferred to another EU country such as Bulgaria. Many refugees do not want to return to Bulgaria or other Balkan states. They report police and border violence, little to no medical care and poor conditions in the camps there. The name of the Dublin procedure for the distribution of migrants within the EU has changed with the reform of the common European asylum system - the questions of responsibility have been regulated in the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMVO) since 2024 - but the structure has essentially remained the same.
    The UN special rapporteurs had already warned last December that human rights violations would occur as part of the deal between France and Great Britain. The two countries were asked to suspend the agreement because extremely traumatized people seeking protection, those with psychological disabilities and minors would be deported. This does not comply with EU or human rights. Politicians ignore this. Adequate psychotherapeutic care in deportation detention: non-existent. (…)
    France no longer wants to extend the agreement beyond October 1, 2026. The French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had already announced this in the French Parliament on June 15th: "In our view, France should not bear this alone." Nuñez further said: "An agreement between the EU and Great Britain would be better." According to the report in the Guardian on Friday, the United Kingdom wants to further expand the agreement, according to British Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood. The issue has probably already reached the executive floor, as British Prime Minister Andrew Burnham raised the issue with French President Emmanuel Macron at the first bilateral meeting on September 3, 2026.
    This year alone, 18 people died while traveling across the English Channel…”Article by Yaro Allisat in the young world from September 14, 2026 
  • Frontex is now stationing a ship and camera vehicles between France and Great Britain
    "For years, an aircraft from the EU border agency Frontex has been monitoring the English Channel in order to track down people who are traveling in boats towards Great Britain in order to apply for asylum there. Last week, Frontex also sent a patrol boat into the channel for the first time. According to official information, the "Duque de Ahumada" of the Spanish Guardia Civil is intended to support French search and rescue measures. The ship can take up to 100 people on board. However, Frontex and the French prefecture emphasize the operation The "Duque de Ahumada" is limited to surveillance and situational awareness. The French authorities are responsible for intercepting the boats - if the people are still discovered in French waters (...) Also last week, Frontex sent five all-terrain vehicles "loaded with modern surveillance and night vision technology" to the French coast. They drove in a convoy from the Frontex headquarters in Warsaw and are supposed to cover the coast between Dunkirk and Coquelles around the clock (…) In June 2026, the European Commission also presented an “action plan” for increased “operational support” in the English Channel and the North Sea. In it, the EU announced the deployment of additional maritime and air surveillance assets from Frontex. However, the French prefecture describes the operation as a commitment to the security of all people at the EU’s external borders. Article by Matthias Monroy from September 9, 2026 at Neues Deutschland online (“EU border agency sends large device to the English Channel”, below also with criticism of the role of Frontex in southern Europe)
• The EU Commission has presented an action plan to curb migrant crossings across the English Channel to Great Britain
  “To this end, Frontex should expand its presence in the North Sea, including through forces from the new “Standing Reserve” as well as additional ships and aircraft. So far, the border agency is active in the English Channel as part of Operation “Opal Coast” with only one surveillance aircraft. In the future, Frontex will prepare risk analyzes of onward travel to Great Britain and exchange ideas with the authorities there. A second pillar of the action plan is Europol: its center against “migrant smuggling” in The Hague is intended to map smuggling networks along the entire route. Together with the EU Internet Forum and the investigative network “DigiNex”, the authority should also take action against the online presence of smugglers, for example through more cooperation with platform operators and use of the Digital Services Act. The Commission is relying on “migration diplomacy” as a third lever: countries of origin and transit in Asia, Africa and the Middle East should be more closely involved in order to prevent departures and facilitate returns, if necessary with visa policy pressure. Joint educational campaigns by the EU and Great Britain about the dangers of the crossing are also planned in the countries. A recent study by the organization Border Forensics finds that tighter British policies and payments to France are associated with an increase in deaths in the English Channel - even though the number of boats has decreased. The study cites overcrowded boats, chaotic departure maneuvers as a result of police operations and raids like in Germany, which make access to boat material more difficult and force migrants to use inferior inflatable boats, as the causes. Report from Matthias Monroy from August 2, 2026 at cilip 141 (“EU plan against English Channel route”)
• English Channel: London signs new migration pact with Paris. The British government wants to stop unwanted crossings on the English Channel - with armed police on the coasts
  "The British government wants to conclude a contract worth more than 760 million euros (662 pounds) with France to stop boat refugees on the English Channel. This was reported by the British news agency PA, citing the government in London. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood wants to sign the contract today. (…) According to the report, the agreement provides, among other things, for the use of police officers in protective equipment to prevent groups of people on the beaches from crossing. The agreement is due to come into force in the summer and the replace the previous agreement. The payment of part of the agreed sum will depend on whether the number of refugees actually decreases. The contract, which is scheduled to run until March 2029, provides for Great Britain to pay 501 million pounds (around 577 million euros) if the measures prove to be successful Increased surveillance operations with cameras, drones and helicopters. Overall, the number of police officers, secret service employees and military personnel involved is expected to increase from 750 to 1,100 people, according to the report (…) The crossings on the English Channel only make up a small part of the migration activity in Great Britain. However, the images of arriving boats are often used to stir up the mood There is then talk of an alleged invasion. Farage's Reform Party has been leading the polls for about a year..." Report from April 23, 2026 in MiGAZIN 
• Four dead at Équihen-Plage: On the morning of April 9th, the worst accident so far this year occurred south of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
  “Four people died while trying to board a so-called taxi boat. Just eight days ago, two people died under similar circumstances in another section of the northern French coast (see here). The number of all deaths documented since the beginning of the year has risen to nine. As the newspaper La voix du Nord reports, the accident occurred south of Équihen-Plage on the border with the municipality of Saint-Étienne-au-Mont, i.e. in a region that has only become the starting point for numerous boat trips in recent years.
  According to the authorities' initial findings, the taxi boat was launched at an unknown location; there was sea fog. At the scene of the accident, a large group apparently tried to board the boat. At least 20 to 30 people got on board and continued their journey under French observation. “Forty-two others didn’t make it,” according to La voix du Nord. (…)
  In this chaotic situation, four people died, whose bodies were brought to the beach but could not be resuscitated. All that is known about the victims is that they are probably adults. Two of them are women. According to the aid organization Alors on Aide, there could be a pair of siblings among them. The 38 survivors were cared for at the rescue center in Équihen-Plage; three of them, including two children, were in medical distress…”Report from April 9, 2026 from and at Calais Border Monitoring 
  in cooperation with bordermonitoring.eu
• Escalation in the English Channel: New deals between Macron and Starmer against the Channel route with potentially fatal consequences even for “real” asylum seekers 
  •  “One out, one in”: London and Paris want to slow down escapes on the English Channel. The aim is to break up the smugglers' business. Human rights activists disagree
    “From this Wednesday, France and Great Britain are starting a new procedure in the English Channel to combat so-called “irregular” migration. An agreement now signed allows the British to send migrants who crossed the English Channel in small boats with the help of smugglers back to France. In return for each return, another person with a connection to the UK, such as family connections, is allowed to enter via a secure route. The pilot follows years of unsuccessful efforts to stop Britain's unwanted immigration across the English Channel with an increased police operation on the northern French coast. London transferred millions to Paris to monitor the coast with additional officers and modern technology. (…)  The aim of the pilot project is to dismantle the smuggling networks and prevent the tragedies that regularly occur when boats sink during the crossing. Human rights activists contradict this representation. In reality, Great Britain's anti-refugee policies are driving people into the hands of smugglers and smugglers. There are no legal routes to the island and the borders are closed. (…) In the first six months of this year, around 21,100 people crossed the English Channel into Great Britain – an increase of almost 56 percent compared to the same period last year and more than ever before.” Report from August 6, 2025 in MiGAZIN 
  • Migration defense: escalation in the English Channel. Macron and Starmer are planning a new migration agreement with potentially deadly consequences
    “France and Great Britain are looking for new ways to stop the ever-increasing number of boat trips by migrants across the English Channel. In the first six months of 2025 alone, over 20,000 people crossed over - around 50 percent more than in the same period last year. The topic of so-called small boats is therefore central to the agenda during Emmanuel Macron's three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, the French President met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer for bilateral talks in Downing Street, and a conference is scheduled for Thursday.
    Among other things, a readmission agreement for people who have left the European Union for the United Kingdom undocumented is being discussed. The focus, however, is on new operational measures on the French coast. The background is a change in strategy that has already become apparent in recent months: French emergency services are increasingly stopping boats, even if they are already in the water. According to the current legal situation, this is illegal - the police or gendarmerie are only allowed to intervene until the boats have been lowered into the water.
    According to the French Interior Ministry, gendarmerie units will in future be authorized to “actively stop” boats up to 300 meters from the shore, i.e. to board them or render them unusable. A corresponding decree is expected in July. Although the British side admits that these operations are "operationally and legally complex," the political direction is clear: the new practice is seen as the key to "fighting migration."
    The British tabloid press goes even further and reports on alleged new methods by the French police: According to this, emergency services should examine the use of nets in shallow water to block boat propellers and prevent departures - sometimes even from jet skis. This has not yet been confirmed by either the British or the French. A similar idea was already under discussion in 2022 under then British Home Secretary Priti Patel, but was quickly rejected due to legal concerns.
    Civilian sea rescue organizations and even police unions warn that the two governments' new plans endanger lives. The French aid organization Utopia 56 documented a case in June in which a small boat was stopped in shallow water. According to a report by the British BBC, a similar and dangerous incident occurred near Boulogne on Friday when French police dismantled a rubber dinghy, in which passengers were already making their way across the English Channel, not far from the beach. The British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper then demonstratively praised France's "important new tactics“…”Article by Matthias Monroy from July 9th, 2025 in ND online 
  • “Stop the boats”: France and Great Britain want to stop refugees crossing the English Channel
    “Heads of state on both sides of the English Channel want to make crossings more difficult for migrants. In the future, refugees will be brought back – and exchanged…”Agency report from July 10, 2025 in Zeit online 
  • Groundbreaking deals against the canal route? At the summit between Emanuel Macron and Keir Starm
    “During the British-French summit in London, the heads of government of both countries, Keir Starmer and Emanuel Macron, announced further measures against migration on the canal route: Firstly, police and gendarmerie operations against inflatable boats in coastal waters should be legalized. Secondly, a readmission agreement is to be tested under which a number of Channel migrants can be deported to France and in return Great Britain accepts other asylum seekers from France. The project is similar to a small version of the EU-Türkiye deal from 2016. Under the impression of rising right-wing extremism in his country, Starmer presented this as a breakthrough in migration policy. But is that true?
    At a joint press conference yesterday, July 10, Starmer spoke of “illegal migration” as a “crisis for both our nations” and a “crisis of law, security, humanity – and fairness”. We are dealing with “a sprawling, multi-billion dollar enterprise that is run by organized criminal gangs and is causing the deaths of hundreds of people in the English Channel.” Both states would have to end this “hideous trade,” but: “There is no silver bullet here.”
    Nevertheless, Starmer promised, the situation could be reversed through a “groundbreaking pilot project” by both countries: a return procedure based on the formula one out, one in. (…) Great Britain will detain refugees who have crossed the border in a dinghy and deport them to France, but in return they will accept another person from France in a legal procedure. It is very clear that this safe and legal route should be closed to anyone who has entered the country on a rubber dinghy, as the procedure is intended to serve as a deterrent. By referring to the fight against irregular employment, Starmer is building a bridge to a package of domestic policy measures that his government launched in the spring and which, among other things, includes harsh sanctions against employers. Starmer tacitly assigns the Channel migrants to labor migration, even though most of them can claim classic reasons for fleeing, thereby denying them the ability to be “real” asylum seekers.
    In onejoint written declaration Both heads of government on the same day further details are recorded. Both sides therefore see it as a model experiment that is intended to function according to the “principle of equivalence between the number of readmissions to France and the number of legal entries into Great Britain”. However, the finalization and signing of a corresponding agreement is subject to legal review by the EU (…)
    In addition to the repatriation experiment, Starmer named another measure: He welcomed the deployment of French police and gendarmerie against inflatable boats in coastal waters - a risky procedure that has already been occasionally documented in recent weeks (...) After this announcement, it will probably only be a matter of time before France legalizes the previously illegal taking of the boats at sea. We have already pointed out here that local French NGOs fear an increase in dangerous and deadly situations in this case. A French police union representative from Lille also expressed to Reuters the fear that colleagues could be prosecuted for the deaths of migrants or die themselves if they had to operate with heavy equipment in the water…”Calais Border Monitoring on July 11, 2025 
• Without legal escape routes to Great Britain: The number of deaths in the English Channel is rising because unscrupulous smugglers are cramming more and more people onto their boats
  “Due to a lack of legal escape routes, more and more refugees are finding themselves in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers. On the English Channel they are cramming more and more people onto their boats. This leads to a bitter conclusion.
  The number of people who died in the English Channel while crossing to Great Britain rose to 72 last year. As the French maritime prefecture announced, the smugglers were overcrowding the inflatable boats, which were already unsuitable for the crossing, with more and more people. While there were an average of 45 migrants on each boat in 2023, the average rose to 54 people last year. The French rescue workers often went out to even more crowded boats. According to the prefecture, eleven refugees died in the English Channel in 2023, only one death was registered in 2022 and there were 31 deaths in 2021. According to the prefecture, the increasing overcrowding of smugglers' boats means that people are simply suffocating in the crowd on the boats. Refugees also die from hypothermia when trying to reach the boats waiting in the water near the beach. (…)
  Human rights activists are calling for legal escape routes
  For years, large numbers of people have been crossing the English Channel from northern France to reach Great Britain. Great Britain has long been trying to contain the flow of refugees across the English Channel with French help and is paying millions to Paris to do so. Human rights activists criticize this policy. The increasing isolation of countries means that people are left with no other option than to place their fate in the hands of smugglers. They are calling for more legal escape routes to curb deaths.”Report from February 18, 2025 in Migazin (“Refugee boats increasingly overcrowded – more deaths in the English Channel”)
• After a record number of at least 69 reported deaths crossing the English Channel in 2024, the UK Refugee Council is calling for safe and legal routes
  • Refugee Council calls for decisive action on record number of deaths in the Channel in 2024
    “2024 was the year with the most deaths crossing the English Channel, with at least 69 deaths reported. The British government's efforts to enforce the law have increased the dangers of crossing the English Channel by cramming more people into less seaworthy boats. There is no official government data on the number of deaths or the profiles of those who died. Evidence from the United States shows that safe and legal routes, along with law enforcement, can reduce irregular migration and save lives.
    A new report from the Refugee Council examines deaths in the English Channel in 2024, a year with the highest number of deaths while crossing the Channel. At least 69 men, women and children died trying to reach the UK during the year - more than the total between 2019 and 2023. Despite this alarming number, the Refugee Council points out that there is no official data recording these deaths, leaving a critical gap in the data needed to inform policy. Where data is available, a third of deaths involved children, including a four-month-old baby from Iraq who died on October 17, 2024.
    The report, Deaths in the Channel: What Needs to Change, finds that enforcement measures, including increased efforts to dismantle smuggling gangs, have made crossing the English Channel even more dangerous. Increasingly overcrowded and unseaworthy boats have increased the risks for travelers. While the government has acknowledged these dangers, it has not announced any plans to mitigate the consequences, such as improving search and rescue efforts.
    The Refugee Council report makes key recommendations for the government to: Publish quarterly data on deaths in the English Channel with the French government, including age, gender and nationality, where known. Improving search and rescue operations along the French coast, including by increasing resources to save lives. Expanding safe and legal routes into the UK. These include: increasing the resettlement rate to pre-COVID levels, expanding eligibility for family reunification to allow child refugees in the UK to bring close family members, and piloting a refugee visa for 10,000 people from high-need countries…” EnglishNotification dated January 2, 2025 from the Refugee Council (machine translated) to the reportDeaths in the Channel: What Needs to Change and above:
  • Refugee Council urges Britain to introduce special visas to prevent deaths in the English Channel
    “Record number of deaths in 2024 leads to calls for safe and legal routes to enter the UK to prevent people resorting to smugglers (...) Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "The record number of deaths in the Channel in 2024 should serve as a stark reminder that the current approach is not working. Smuggling gangs are profiting from men, women and children forced into life-threatening conditions, and Law enforcement measures alone are not enough to address this. The total number of deaths could be even higher, as the lack of monitoring by French and British authorities means there is no accurate picture…” EnglishArticle by Diane Taylor from January 2, 2025 in The Guardian (machine translated)
• Another devastating and depressingly avoidable tragedy in the English Channel: Another overcrowded boat with migrants sank and an infant drowned
  • Our statement on the shocking death of a baby during an attempted Channel crossing
    “We are heartbroken that a baby has died in another devastating and depressingly preventable tragedy in the English Channel. The people crossing the English Channel are fleeing war, conflict and persecution and just want to be safe. As our analysis shows, these crossings are becoming increasingly deadly, with the total number of deaths this year higher than the previous three years combined. This series of deaths and tragedies shows that we need to rethink our approach. If we continue as we are, lives will continue to be lost. The government should adopt a multi-pronged strategy to combat these life-threatening journeys. It is not enough to simply dismantle the smuggling gangs: the government must also create safe and legal routes for refugees and work meaningfully with European partners…”  English.Statement from the Refugee Council  dated October 18, 2024 (machine translated)
  • English Channel: Infant dies when migrant boat sinks
    “Another overcrowded boat with migrants sank in the English Channel. An infant was killed. According to French information, 65 people were rescued. This means that 52 people have died this year trying to cross the English Channel to England.”Short message on October 18th, 2024 on Deutschlandfunk 
• France & England “shocked”: Twelve dead in boat accident in the English Channel – again
  “Not only crossings in the Mediterranean end in death, a refugee boat also capsized in the English Channel towards Great Britain. French helpers pull dozens of people out of the water. But there are also deaths. France and Britain say they are “shocked” by the deaths of people who are not supposed to be there.
  Twelve people died off the coast of northern France when a refugee boat capsized in the English Channel. The majority of them are women, said France's acting Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Minors are also among the victims. In the evening, two injured people were still in emergency care. (…)
  Interior Minister Darmanin said at the scene of the accident: “This is a drama that affects us all.” The people were traveling on a small boat that was not even seven meters long. The judiciary is now investigating. The minister also called for a migration agreement to be negotiated between the European Union and Great Britain. The British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was also dismayed and condemned the activities of smuggling gangs. (…) On the other hand, France, Great Britain and the entire European Union have been criticized for many years for not offering people in need legal escape routes. Desperate people therefore have no other option than to place their fate in the hands of smugglers and board unseaworthy boats. (…)
  TheChannel France 3 reported from a boat overloaded with refugees. They did not have life jackets. “I'm at a loss for words, it makes my blood run cold,” said the chairman of theAid organization Osmosis 62 , Dany Patoux, the broadcaster in view of the body bags on the quay.“We are devastated by the tragic deaths in the recent incident in the English Channel,” the British chief saidRefugee aid organization Refugee Council , Enver Solomon. "The death toll in the English Channel has been shockingly high this year. This is a devastating trend that shows the urgent need for a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to reduce dangerous crossings in the Channel.”…”Post from September 4th, 2024 in Migazin 
• As British fascists threaten to patrol the coast in Calais, a coastguard crackdown leads to an increase in deaths in the English Channel and France sends in a "clean-up" team
  • Two people die while trying to cross the English Channel in a rubber dinghy
    “Fifty-three people were rescued by helicopter on Sunday morning, French authorities said
    French authorities say two people have died while trying to cross the English Channel in a rubber dinghy, bringing the death toll to at least nine since mid-July. Fifty-three people were rescued by a helicopter and several ships sent to the scene of the accident from the Gris-Nez Regional Operations and Monitoring Center. The British Coast Guard also provided assistance, but two people were declared dead after being found unconscious on board. In another incident on Sunday morning, 50 people were rescued, including several who suffered gasoline burns. The survivors of both incidents were returned to France. Before today's incident, the crossing had not been possible for four days due to poor weather conditions. (…) While the circumstances of Sunday's deaths are not yet known, organizations such as Utopia 56, which supports displaced and homeless people in France, and Alarm Phone, which monitors the English Channel and Mediterranean and relays emergency calls to the coastguard, have attributed the increase in deaths to the UK's crackdown on small boats…” EnglishArticle by Diane Taylor from August 11, 2024 in the Guardian online (machine translated)
    • “Two more deaths due to the British/French government's murderous border policies. This brings the number of known deaths since 2023 to 62, according to @alarm_phone. Every death is deliberate, constructed violence by nation states that place invisible lines over life“EnglishTweet from Calais Solidarity 8/11/24 
  • “This afternoon in Calais (the 4th of the month) a new eviction operation was carried out in five informal living spaces. Surplus and overequipped police officers were mobilized.
    At least 139 people, including women and minors, were forced to temporarily leave the country in which they lived. A sign of the dramatization of this type of operation was the fact that some were relocated even though the police were still present.
    The “clean-up” team that accompanied the authorities confiscated (at least) 25 tents. Furthermore, there is no alternative housing solution or protection against homelessness. “FrenchTweet from Human Rights Observers dated  Aug 9, 2024 with 3 videos
  • A call to confront the fascists in Calais
    “ENGLISH FASCISTS PLAN ATTACKS ON THE BEACHES OF CALAIS: CALL FOR VIgilance and MOBILIZATION
    About 15 English fascists announced on social networks that they would patrol the northern French coast from August 11th to stop the “migrant boats”. In July alone, at least seven people died trying to cross the English Channel... This risk of racist attacks further increases the danger for those attempting to cross the Channel. Call for maximum vigilance and action to stop the fascists. On Thursday August 1st, Alan Leggett, a far-right anti-immigration activist well known in the English fascisphere, posted on his Twitter account (Active Patriot) a call to come to the shores of the North Coast to “stop the boats” of exiles heading to England. This xenophobic activist had already come to the north coast the week before, accompanied by two other fascists (@TruthHurts101 and @veteran_little) to scout the area and observe the (inadequate, in their opinion) police presence to prevent boats from leaving... During this first three-day stay, they ran into a team from Utopia 56 on the beach, became aggressive and claimed that the beaches were now theirs and that they would come back would.
    According to Alan Leggett, the return is scheduled for August 11th. After launching a fundraising campaign, he says he will be able to deploy three cars “full of migrant hunters” to patrol the coast.
    Let's not let them have their way! Let us be vigilant to any information about their plans and their presence and do everything we can to prevent this disgusting project. Any autonomous initiative is welcome, but beware of repression: the police presence on the coast is enormous, with numerous identity checks and vehicle searches. Stop the fascists, not the boats!“English/French”Call from August 6, 2024 to the Calais Migrant Solidarity network (machine translated), see also:
    • In light of the call from British fascists to go to Calais on August 11th, let's organize and mobilize!
      “…Utopia56 warned onhttps://x.com/Utopia_56/status/1820773524706832593 ), particularly through a call from one of Britain's biggest fascist influencers…” From the French.Appeal to the Collectif Antifasciste du Pays-de-Retz 
    • See our dossier for the current background:England's Rostock-Lichtenhagen 2.0: Unprecedented wave of right-wing extremist riots, but not surprising
• Care4Calais on the current situation: “This is undoubtedly the worst situation I have ever experienced.”
  “In Calais, France, refugees from many countries endure inhumane conditions. Care4Calais Calais supports people with warm clothing and tents. The lead project coordinator Imogen Hardman talks about what she experiences there, about police violence and why people are abandoned - and about Ukrainians. (…) The political changes and the tightened measures against those seeking protection at the external borders, such as between France and the United Kingdom, give the impression that their main goal is not to make progress in improving the overall situation, but simply to shift responsibility across national borders. Against this background, it stands outCare4Calais exemplifies many aid organizations in the north of France by choosing solidarity as a response to the current challenges. In conversation with lead project coordinator Imogen Hardman, we find out more about her work for the non-profit organization. The focus of her work is the northern French city of Calais, where she and many other volunteers distribute weekly food parcels and relief supplies such as weatherproof clothing, sleeping bags and tents. She highlights the pressing challenges and adversities that refugees in the region face on a daily basis and speaks about the lack of government support for people on both sides of the English Channel. (…)
  The situation for refugees in and around Calais has been unacceptable for years and represents a major challenge for those affected and the NGOs. The reason why our association is currently busier is due to the increasing number of people who rely on our support. Compared to the past winters when I was deployed here in France, we are currently looking after around 2,000 people. Last winter there were around 800 people. Demand is extreme, meaning the need for donations and related supplies such as winter jackets, shoes and waterproof clothing is much greater than before. Added to this are the adverse weather conditions. Over the past few months there have been many severe storms, numerous days of rain and heavy rain as well as a lot of wind. This resulted in people’s “protective equipment” being damaged or destroyed. We are seeing a high demand for tents and sleeping bags as there are regular evictions by the police, during which many relief supplies are destroyed. Every 48 hours the police visit the individual camps around Calais and Dunkirk and carry out one evacuation after the other. If someone leaves a tent behind, it will be confiscated. If someone has left a bag behind, it will be thrown away. Recently, Syrian men told me that the police come to the place where they have set up their makeshift camp every day and take their belongings - every day. Of course that concerns us. Such practices are absolutely unacceptable and inhumane. (…)
  And then unfortunately we have people drowning trying to escape to the UK. We work with people, you shouldn't forget that. With people who are very scared, worried, have come a long way and don't know what tomorrow will bring. And there is still no safe and legal way for them. This is a kind of ongoing storm, a really difficult and critical situation that is currently reaching proportions that we have never seen before. (…)
  These regular evictions began 18 to 24 months ago and have continued consistently since then. There are also large-scale mass evictions from all camps between Dunkirk and Calais. We last experienced this again two weeks ago - the police visited different places at the same time. They simply took or destroyed everything. The camps are literally being razed to the ground. The people were then put on buses and distributed to asylum centers across France. Some of the people from communities we regularly support told us that they had been taken to Marseille. They haven't returned to this day because they don't know how to get back from there. The evictions are extremely violent, and here too there is an increase. The police, armed with tear gas, attack refugees. They appear in full protective gear and are extremely aggressive. These experiences are retraumatizing for people who have fled conflict situations around the world and have no protection. (…)
  What we are experiencing is immense pressure and increasing rejection of us NGOs. Many French and British organizations are active around the clock on a voluntary basis and do work that should not actually be their job. We are repeatedly prevented from distributing aid to refugees. Most recently, British volunteers traveling with the organization “Human Rights Observers” were arrested because they did not have a passport. They had another photo ID with them and were able to identify themselves. They were still held at the station for 24 hours, although their passports had since been handed in by third parties. So we are observing an increasing decline in acceptance towards refugees and us NGOs. At the same time, the number of people who urgently need help is increasing. (…)
  We are observing increasing police violence against refugees. Everyone you meet here has a story to tell. We see burns and chemical burns from the use of tear gas at close range and injuries from physical assaults. The people we are talking about here have already fled, and there is still a life-threatening journey ahead of them - be it across the English Channel or in the back of some truck. They often suffer serious injuries from various escape attempts. Fortunately, there are also organizations that provide medical care here on a voluntary basis. They treat relevant injuries, but also illnesses that arise from the unhygienic conditions in which people are forced to live. Scabies, for example, is a big problem. To combat this serious skin disease, one would need a full set of clean clothing and a clean living space, as well as running water. None of that is given…”Interview by Judith Büthe from January 11, 2024 in Migazin (“Care4Calais leader Hardman: “This is without a doubt the worst situation I have ever witnessed.””) with photos
• German share in the British border regime: Calais Group 
  “The British border regime is based on bilateral and multilateral agreements with France and other countries bordering the English Channel and the North Sea. In addition, there are geographically distant states that are supposed to have certain functions in the fight against migration (Türkiye) or in the reception of rejected migrants (Rwanda). There is currently no migration policy framework agreement with the EU, but this does not mean that European border, police and judicial authorities are not involved at another level. Germany is also part of these structures. But what exactly is the German share in the British border regime? We would like to explore this question in a loose series of articles. At the beginning there is the Calais Group, a framework created in 2021 for existing and probably also for future projects. (…) The Calais Group is the first structure of upstream British migration defense in which Germany is integrated at government level. Belgium, on the other hand, has long been included through intergovernmental agreements, which also applies to a small extent to the Netherlands. The Calais Group isn't changing that much. Unlike the Anglo-French core of the border regime, which is based on intergovernmental treaties, the five participating countries do not enter into a contractual relationship with one another. Likewise, concrete projects are not decided and backed with a financial volume, as happens regularly between Great Britain and France. (…) Since 2021, Germany has been part of an informal multilateral forum at ministerial level that focuses primarily on police and judicial cooperation.It integrates existing cooperation into a common political framework and expands the scope for cooperation with Frontex, Europol, Eurojust and EMPACT. This cooperation has so far culminated in a joint major raid against Iraqi-Kurdish smugglers, with a focus on Germany. As can be seen from the Federal Government's response to MP Bünger's minor question, both the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police are involved in this form of cooperation; in the case of the major raid, the state police of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bremen and Baden-Württemberg were also involved. In the Calais Group's logic, human migration routes and supply chains for boats seem to be aligned with the infrastructure of smuggling organizations. The identification of states that are presumably part of such routes and supply chains serves as a compass for further combating migration. The data flow established between the states of the Calais Group and the participating EU authorities is being expanded in a way that is highly problematic in terms of human rights to include authoritarian and unstable states that are seen as key actors along migration routes and supply chains. It remains to be seen how this year’s third meeting of the Calais Group will go…” Post from September 14, 2023 by Bordermonitoring.eu e.V. 
• British trade union PCS (Border Guard and Coast Guard) calls for the resignation of the Home Secretary after the rescue of four dead in the English Channel
  • "The PCS has called for the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman following the tragic deaths in the English Channel earlier today. PCS negotiator Paul O'Connor said: "Our thoughts are with the people who lost their lives in the English Channel and with their families and loved ones, whose pain at these developments is unimaginable. Our thoughts are also with everyone involved in the search and rescue operation, including our Border Force and Coastguards Agency members who are always on the front line with this Today's tragedy, which took place just over 12 months after the tragic deaths of 32 people in the English Channel, was completely avoidable. Interior Minister Suella Braverman says that her thoughts ring completely hollow when she has spent her time as Interior Minister PCS wrote to the Home Secretary just last week and presented her with a ready-made solution to these dangerous crossings. Our solution would allow refugees to cross safely and destroy the business model of people smugglers in one fell swoop. Instead of taking up this solution, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided yesterday to further demonize these vulnerable people instead of providing them with security. This tragedy should force him to reflect and reconsider his government's position Abolish refugees and replace them with an asylum system that is based on humanity.How many more deaths must there be before this government gives up its callous indifference to human life?” PCS press release from December 14, 2022 (“PCS calls for Braverman’s resignation after Channel deaths”) (The services union PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union) is responsible, among other things, for border protection and coast guard)
  • Four dead and dozens rescued in tragedy involving capsized boat in the English Channel
    "Four people died when a small boat carrying migrants capsized overnight in the English Channel, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. Dozens of other people were rescued by British and French rescue services from the waters of one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which includes the Border Force and Coast Guard personnel involved in the rescue, called for Suella Braverman to "resign in disgrace." The PCS's Paul O'Connor said: "Suella Braverman says her thoughts are with everyone involved. These words ring completely hollow when she has spent her time as Home Secretary vilifying and demonizing the very people she now feigns sympathy for. She should resign in disgrace. Braverman is the current Home Secretary. As The Canary's Sophia Purdy-Moore reported, she has shown a penchant for deportations: “Braverman proudly told attendees at the Tory party conference that it was her “dream” and “obsession” to see flights carrying asylum seekers to offshore prisons in Rwanda. The aid organization Refugee Action described the deaths as “foreseeable and preventable”. The Care4Calais group described the UK's failure to provide safe routes as "extremely shameful". Government sources previously said 43 people had been rescued, including more than 30 who fell overboard, and there are fears the death toll will rise.
    Screams
    A fisherman told Sky News that he was woken up by his crew hearing migrants' cries for help in the near-freezing water next to their trawler. The crew spent several hours helping dozens of people to safety and shared the footage with the British television channel. One fisherman said: “The adrenaline kicks in and you find the strength to pull these boys to safety.” Nikolai Posner of the group Utopia 56, which helps migrants in northern France, said they received a voice message and a location alert from a boat in distress at 2:53 a.m. local time (01:53 GMT). Posner told AFP: "We relayed the message to the French and British coast guards by telephone. At 3:40 a.m. (0240 GMT), the French coast guard told us that the British would take care of it. The location we were given was in French waters. At 2:59 a.m. the person who contacted us stopped receiving messages on WhatsApp." Utopia 56 later stated, "Although it is impossible to say with certainty that the messages came from the sunken boat, all elements...suggest that they were." The organization said it received five calls overnight from boats attempting to cross the English Channel. The message, which was believed to have come from the wrecked boat, said that there were children and families on board and that the boat was taking on water from the stern, leaving the occupants underwater. “Please help us,” it said. “We’re in the water.”
    Pressure
    These deaths have increased political pressure on the British government, which has promised to take back control of immigration after Brexit. Opponents have criticized the government's attempts to tighten entry requirements and described its proposals to deport failed asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful. They have accused ministers, including Braverman, of demonizing asylum seekers and using inflammatory rhetoric to stir up hostility towards those seeking protection. Clare Moseley, founder of refugee charity Care4Calais, said: "There are no words to express our horror and sadness at today's tragedy. A full year after the deaths of 32 people in the English Channel, our government has done nothing to prevent further deaths, failing both the refugees who need our help and our country." Last year, in November, most of the 34 people died on a dinghy in the English Channel. Moseley blamed the government for its inaction: "Both then and now, these deaths are completely unnecessary and avoidable. Because it failed to act, our government has blood on its hands." Refugee Action chief executive Tim Naor Hilton agreed with these words: "Let me be clear: today's tragedy and the tragedies of recent days are predictable and inevitable and are caused by hostile government policies - such as those announced by the Prime Minister yesterday - aimed at keeping people out rather than keeping them safe." Article by Maryam Jameela/AFP from December 15, 2022 in The Canary (“Four people dead and dozens rescued in tragedy of capsized boat in Channel”)
• Another evacuation of refugees' accommodation in Calais, including the destruction of personal belongings by the anti-terror unit
  • “Operations from #expulsion to #Calais and #GrandeSynthe. This is the usual procedure in Calais today; a disproportionate and over-armed convoy drives the exiles out of informal living spaces, confiscating tents, tarpaulins and belongings and condemning them to wandering. #GrandeSynthe has “protection” buses in place. But exiles have no information about their destination and can only take one bag with them. All under the surveillance of CRS, armed with assault rifles.”Human Rights Observers thread from May 25, 2022 – see more information (English/French)on their homepage 
• Occupied accommodation for refugees in Calais evacuated
  • “After a week of occupying a vacant residential building in Calais, it was stormed this morning by the RAID (Anti-Terrorism Unit).The building served as a refuge from the cold and protection from darkness for homeless people.”Tweet from Blxck Flames Fox on Feb 11, 2022 
  • “French security forces used a helicopter and special forces to drive refugees out of an occupied house in #Calais. In this way, the police are trying to crush organized protests by refugees and are driving people into homelessness.”Tweet from Seebrücke from February 11, 2022 
  • In Calais: Squatted houses as accommodation for migrants
    “While political attention to the situation has waned, activists and associations are mobilizing. One of the buildings in question was evacuated on Friday. The building extends over ten floors. And it's empty. These are social housing units to be demolished as part of the renovation of a popular area in Fort-Nieulay in Calais (Pas-de-Calais). There, a few dozen activists who, according to the prefecture, belong to the “No Border Movement,” a movement that advocates the abolition of borders, had set up a squat, the first to be built in the city in several years. The occupiers aimed to gradually bring “exiles” there. They denounced the situation in which migrants are kept, distributed in camps in different places in the municipality and regularly expelled. There are currently said to be around 1,000 migrants waiting to get to England…” French.Article by Julia Pascual from February 11, 2022 in Le Monde 
  • Calais. Four people will go on trial on Monday following an occupation in solidarity with migrants.
    “Four people will appear in court on Monday for supporting anti-border activists in an eviction in Calais on Friday 11 February…” fr.AFP report from February 12, 2022 in Ouest-France online 
• “People are literally being hunted.” Refugees in northern France live in catastrophic conditions. Your destination is Great Britain. 
  “…Thousands of refugees are camping in several illegal camps on the coast around Calais, waiting for an opportunity to cross the English Channel. The people come from Afghanistan, Syria, Kurdistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Eritrea and many other countries. About half made it there directly via the intra-European escape routes, others had been living in Germany or other countries in the Schengen area for years and were threatened with deportation by the authorities there. They all have the same goal: England. There they hope for a future, a fair asylum procedure and work. Years ago it was mostly only young men who dared to cross the ferry as stowaways on a truck, but now there are also many local families who are not afraid of making the dangerous journey in a rubber dinghy. (…) Rubber bullets, tear gas and batons are used against those seeking protection. The refugees are literally hunted down. Every two days to a week, their tents, blankets and often clothing, shoes and food are taken away. England wants to prevent the escape by any means possible. The British Home Secretary is currently campaigning for so-called pushbacks, which also include boats capsizing due to artificially generated waves. In November, 30 people died in a failed crossing because neither the British nor the French responded promptly to emergency calls…”Interview by Henning von Stoltzenberg in the young world from January 11th, 2022 with Lydia Jalil
• Clearing a camp near Calais on December 30, 2021: CRS police unit uses CS gas after resistance 
  “During an evacuation in the Calais neighboring community of Marck yesterday, December 30, 2021, there was a clash between the CRS police unit and residents of a camp. The trigger was the confiscation of tents and in particular the fact that the owners could no longer get their personal belongings out of the tents. The resistance resulted in a major confrontation between exiles and CRS, which spread to a neighboring residential area and in the course of which the police used CS gas on a massive scale. "The police came to get a few tents. We fought them off," the newspaper La Voix du Nord quoted one of the refugees as saying. A Human Rights Observers representative said in the same article that the police cordon pushed the camp's residents back "without allowing them to get their belongings out of the tents, which was what sparked the tension." The human rights group added that “at least 32 tents were confiscated and others destroyed.”
  Such confiscations are common during evictions. However, during the solidarity hunger strike in October and November, the authorities assured that those affected would at least be warned about the evictions and given the opportunity to collect their personal belongings. However, such a procedure was never actually implemented and was effectively wasted after the end of the hunger strike. (…)
  At the current confrontation on the site known as Old Lidl, where people from Sudan mainly live, the police were present with an unusually strong presence. According to the newspaper, “around 100 people […] opposed the law enforcement officers”; According to the prefecture, they refused to leave the area and threw stones. The police, for their part, used CS gas and rubber bullets. (…)
  The prefect of the Pas de Calais released a statement on the same day in which he spoke of aggressive behavior and stone-throwing by the exiles and blamed them for the escalation in which 15 officers were injured. He “strongly condemns these acts of violence and fully supports the injured police and gendarmes.” The injured among the refugees remain unnamed. Human Rights Observers and other groups report that three refugees were injured. According to a report by InfoMigrants, one of them had a leg that had swollen to twice its volume, probably as a result of a rubber bullet.
  The dispute will further worsen the already tense relationship between the residents of the Old Lidl site and those on the neighboring streets. This latent conflict has already been used by conservative politicians in recent months as a platform to position themselves against migrants. (…)
  The current dispute is part of this history of conflict, which results directly from the tactics of attrition against the exiles in Calais and which was once again brutally escalated on the Old Lidl site. Shortly before Christmas, the emergency services even prevented residents from going to the food bank via the railway track…”Report from the Human Rights Observers (HRO) network from December 31, 2021 with some videos
• The wretches of Calais: Mahmoud wants to go to England, like all the others from Iraq, Sudan and Eritrea. But for now they are stuck – on the French side of the canal 
  "Swimming? The young man, who will be called Mahmoud here, shakes his head. Neither he nor the eight other Syrians who are standing around him indecisively know how to do it. Twenty is the youngest of them, 50 is the oldest. There is no question for them that they still want to take a rubber dinghy across to England. Mahmoud, who is in his early 20s, is small and slight and whose face is buried in his thick scarf, has already done it three times tried, but every time the French police came just as the boat was about to set sail (…) A less prominent point on the EU agenda is the living conditions of the around 1,500 people from Sudan and Eritrea, from Iran and Iraq, Egypt, Ethiopia and Syria