Calais is a widely known port town on the northern point of France, right at the narrowest point of the English Channel. It is most known for a sight of great trade but in recent times has become known for another feature: migrants.
The "Calais Jungle" is a product of the development of various refugee crises over the years. Now a chantey town, due to its proximity to the port, migrants are able to stow away on trucks, and eventually cargo ships in hopes of making it to Great Britain. Migrants have come for years from as far as Africa to as close as the war-torn countries of the Middle East, and, of course, the European refugee crisis — which is making headlines as of late.
The "Jungle," a former garbage dump is not a paradise by any means, but in contrast to a majority of other refugee camps, provided basic necessities, others lacked. Food from various shelters and charity organizations, toilets and showers, even electricity - commodities often taken for granted here but cherished in this desolate place.
However, the thousands — yes you read that right, thousands — of migrants who reside here, have once again been displaced. The government overseeing this area of France, has taken to cracking down on the migrant issue, and last week won a court case, permitting the demolition of a large portion of the "Jungle." An in-area census by two charities reportedly said there were hundreds of unaccompanied children among the almost 3,500 people accounted for.
This demolition began early Monday and the reports and pictures are volatile. Tear gas, and riot police, an hours notice of said eviction, tents and structures set ablaze and the bulldozing of homes - allow these dramatic but honest descriptions to paint a picture of the incredible travesty occurring in the lives of so many helpless people.
Alternatives at this point include relocation to the new and limited housing in shipping containers in a separate part of Calais, self-relocation elsewhere in the town, or hopes of finding shelter at a new camp altogether.
International organizations such as Amnesty International, have reportedly called for both France and the UK to aid migrants in seeking asylum. Other governmental entities shun this idea because of the uncontrollable influx of migrants, who in their attempts have sometimes caused damages or hindered the scheduled transports, with several dying in their attempts to cross the channel.
For further information, I urge you to read this 2015 BBC article and watch this video.
