by David Hencke
A new attempt to provide shelter for hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers near Calais has been closed down by French police.
Following the destruction of the asylum seekers’ camp near Sangatte last year the No Borders Network direct action group and the French organisation Soutien aux Sans Papiers opened a warehouse in Calais.
For 24 hours, 100 refugees from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran and Kurdistan were given blankets, food and shelter in an old hanger in the town which had been rented from the owners.
But the next day French police – who had already tried to block roads surrounding the warehouse – broke into the building and arrested the organisers. Most of the refugees fled the building before the police entered it. The organisers were later released.
A statement from Calais Migrant Solidarity, a local group, said: “After the migrants had left, riot police threatened to smash their way into the building after completely surrounding it, and blocking the view of the media by using two large vehicles.
“The activists agreed to negotiate with the police, but when they began negotiations they were immediately assaulted and the riot police smashed the door to the hangar. All the activists who were inside the building were then arrested and the building was illegally evicted.”
The attempt to open a new shelter came as many refugees are still living rough around the Calais area despite the success of the police operation – which was backed by Home Secretary Alan Johnson – to close down the camp at Sangatte to prevent more people arriving in the United Kingdom.
Many are still living in the open despite the recent bitterly cold weather. Police have welded shut the hanger and a legal challenge is now planned to try and get it re-opened.
Stephane Blois, from Calais Migrant Solidarity, said: “What we see here is another example of repressive policing where migrants are routinely arrested and then shortly afterwards released. We want to work together here to resist this co-ordinated strategy of cross channel oppression.”
The policy of harassing any immigrants is strongly supported by Calais’ mayor.
