Refugee in Calais - Useful Information
Calais is a medium-sized town of 75 000 inhabitants (100 000 including neighbouring communes). It is the French harbour closest to England, and the main crossing point between Great Britain and the continent. Since the Sangatte centre was closed by the Government in 2002, refugees have continued to arrive. They are scattered all along the French and Belgian coast. They live in squats and “jungles”. The following information is collected by "La Marmite aux Idées" one of the several groups of supporters in Calais.
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Calais : short presentation and history of the refugees' presence
Calais is a medium-sized town, of 75 000 inhabitants (100 000 including neighbouring communes). It is the French harbour closest to England, and the main crossing point between Great Britain and the continent.
Calais is traditionally an industrial city, now deeply affected by the economical crises. It has one of the highest unemployment rate of the region.
A large part of Calais has been destroyed during the Second World War, and a lot of inhabitants became refugees.
During the 90ties, presence of refugees going to England became visible in Calais. In this period they are mainly coming from former Yugoslavia. They camp in the public gardens, there are a lot of families with children. Calaisian people become to be moved, and solidarity begins to be organised (creation of the association La Belle Etoile).
In 1999, a shelter centre is opened by the State in Sangatte, near Calais. It is managed by the French Red Cross. The centre of Sangatte is closed by the State in 2002. It gives rise to a struggle for the refugees' rights' recognition. New solidarities are organised (C'SUR Collective, SALAM association).
Since then, refugees continue to arrive. They are split on the whole French and Belgian coast. They live in squats and “jungles”.
Since the 2009 spring, repression became harder against refugees. A French – British agreement has been signed the 6th of July, which foresees reinforcement of the border controls, destruction of the refugees camps, and organisation of common charters to send refugees back to their country. Important camps destructions took place in Calais during 2009 autumn, many heard about the destruction of the "pashton jungle", and the refugees' living conditions became harder.
Services and possibilities
Meals
Meals are served rue de Moscou, every day between 1 and 3 pm et and between 6 and 8 pm, by the associations SALAM (in the evening), La Belle Etoile (at lunchfrom Monday to Friday) and l'Auberge des Migrants (at lunch on Saturday andSunday).
Clothes
A distribution of clothes is organised each two Saturdays until 1 pm by C'SUR. Other associations organise occasional distributions for clothes and shoes, and can answer to some emergency situations.
Health
The free medical centre (PASS – Permanence d'Accès aux Soins de Santé), depending on the hospital, is opened from Monday to Friday, from 1.30 to 6.30 pm. It is totally free. It is possible to see a doctor and to access basic medical care and medicines. If needed, it address people to the other services of the hospital.
In case of necessity linked with health problems and after a doctor's advice, the hospital's social worker can help to find accommodation facilities or to ask for a visa for medical reason.
Convalescents can go in a camp in Bailleul, at 80 km from Calais. For that, people have to address SALAM association.
Accommodation
There is no permanent accommodation opened to everybody in Calais.
A gymnasium is opened during the night when the cold weather plan is released by the authorities.
The State has the obligation to provide accommodation for the asylum seekers, but does it only partially. Asylum seekers to whom no accommodation is proposed have to address the administrative court to obtain their rights. They can do it with the help of an association.
Sick or injured people can go to the camp in Bailleul or ask for accommodation at the social service of the hospital.
Administrative steps
Associations La Belle Etoile, SALAM and Secours catholique help asylum seekers in their process with the prefecture and the OFPRA. France terre d'Asile association and UNHCR have an information mission about asylum and refugee
status.
International Office of Migration is in charge of voluntary return in the country of origin.
France Terre d'Asile helps people in retention centre in Coquelle, including appealing to avoid deportation.
La Belle Etoile, SALAM and Secours catholique help also people for diverse administrative steps.
Day centre, showers
Secours catholique opens a day centre for vulnerable people (minors, women, families, sick or injured people). It manages also showers.
Culture
The cinema Alhambra shows films in original language, subtitled in French. It is so possible to see films in English, Italian, or less often in Arabic, Persian...
The library propose an studying space opened to every body, where it is possible to read newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, books to learn diverse languages. People who have a regular accommodation in Calais can also register there and borrow books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
Concerts and spectacles take place in different places in Calais, often at low price or even for free.
Internet access is possible at the library, at the cyber-café, and in some bars like Coconut.
French language learning
French courses are organised for asylum seekers in Coubertin high school, near the free medical centre.
Activities for the first steps in French are proposed by associations La Marmite aux Idées and SALAM.
Associations in Calais
A large majority of the people active in these organisations are volunteers, what means that they are not paid for the work they do.
L'Auberge des Migrants:
Food distributions at lunch Saturday and Sunday, diverse kinds of help
Where? - Food distribution place Saturday and Sundaylunchtime
La Belle Étoile:
Food distributions at lunch from Monday until Friday, help for asylum seekers, help in diverse situations
Where? - Food distribution place Monday to Friday lunchtime
C'SUR Cloakroom:
(clothes and shoes distributions), refugees' rights'promotion
Where? - Cloakroom, Saturday afternoon
France Terre d'Asile:
Information about asylum, legal support in retention centre
Where? - Food distribution place Monday to Friday 2 pm
La Marmite aux Idées:
Refugees' rights' promotion, introduction to French language, diverse activities
Where? - Food distribution place lunchtime
No Border:
Promotion of borders' opening, freedom of movement and settlement, critic of immigration policies, struggle against police violence
Where? - Food distribution place
SALAM:
Food distribution at diner from Monday until Sunday, occasional distributions of closes, shoes, blankets, help for asylum seekers,help for heath problems
Where? - Food distribution place evening
Secours Catholique:
Day centre, showers, help for asylum seekers, help in diverse situations
Where? - Food distribution place Monday to Friday lunchtime
Solidarity offence : Helping foreigners in irregular situation to enter to enter, to stay and to travel in the country is forbidden by the French law, and is punished by a maximum of 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of 30 000 €. Humanitarian help and information about the rights are normally out of this definition, but the limit is unclear, and police use it sometimes to make pressure on associations and people, and to make a barrier of fear between refugees and local population.
Rights and legal aspects
Asylum seekers
People who are threatened in their country et that their countries' State can't protect can ask for protection from one European State. There common European rules, but each European State keep it's own procedures.
In France, the procedure can be complex and long. You have therefore to prepare yourself with the support of an association. Two asylum procedures exist :
- normal one, which offers better rights' guaranties
- priority one, mainly for people who ask for asylum in retention centre, or who have a decision to leave the French territory, faster and with less guaranties
European rules (Dublin 2 agreement) provide generally the obligation to ask for asylum in the country you enter in the European Union. The proof being mainly the fingerprints taken in this country and entered in the European database EURODAC. Asylum seekers can then be sent back to this country to ask there for asylum. This decision to send them back can be sometimes contested at the tribunal (more on the french implementation of Dublin II see here).
The State has obligation to provide accommodation to asylum seekers during the whole procedure. Actually, it proposes only accommodation facilities to people in the normal procedure, after waiting a longer or shorter time. If no accommodation is proposed, you have to appeal to the administrative court, with the help of an
association.
Minors
France has the obligation to protect minors in difficulty, what means offering good living conditions, education, opportunities to learn a job. It is possible for minors who choose to stay in France to live in a camp or in a family, to go to school or to learn a job, under the responsibility of the Childhood Social Help. Some solutions exist for them to stay in France after 18, but it depends on their situation.
It is sometimes difficult to proove you are under 18, even if you have identity papers.
For the moment nothing is proposed in Calais to minors who don't want to stay in France. Even if the State has the same obligation to protect them.
Legal papers and legalisation of a situation
Out of people who obtain asylum and minors, it is difficult to stay legally in France. Sometimes legalisation is possible, mainly in case of important health problems.
Foreigners without legal documents
The police can see a person is in irregular situation during an identity control. It can then bring the person to the police station for identity checking (4 hours maximum), and keep her in police custody (24 ours maximum, which can be prolonged on time for another 24 ours).
In custody, you have the right to ask to be helped by a lawyer. If you have no personal lawyer, you can ask some to be assigned to you (avocat commis d'office). You have also the right to see a doctor.
After custody, you can be sent in retention centre to be deported to another country. In each retention centre, there is association independent from the State, which is there to inform you about your rights, and to help you to make your rights respected (France Terre d'Asile in Coquelle, near Calais). You can also ask for the assistance of a lawyer, who can help you to contest the decision to maintain you in retention and to deport you.
Basic rights
The law forbid violence, racket, threats to obtain money, submission or sexual relation. Whoever is the person who does that, you have the right to ask assistance and protection from the authorities.
Right to accommodation
Because there is no accommodation provided, people squat illegally empty buildings or places to shelter. It can be a pretext for the police to intervene (identity control, custody, evacuation of the place). But the intervention of the
police has to respect some rules, what seems not to happen all the time (requisition of the public prosecutor, complain of the owner of the place).
The destruction of personal goods and the destruction of habitations are illegal. You can report it at the police station to be written in the minutes, and complain to the public prosecuter.
Right to medical assistance
Asylum seekers in normal procedure have full right to social care. People without legal papers have the right to get free medical assistance through the free medical centre (PASS) and the emergency service of the hospital.
Links about Calais
Calais migrant solidarity: Documenting police harassment of migrants in Calais, and the strengthening resistance to this violence by a network of European citizens and refugees: http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/
SALAM Nord/Pas-de-Calais: organisation to support refugees in Calais by daily food distribution and various kinds of help: http://www.associationsalam.org/
Schengendangle: Blog of refugees in transit. Dangle we call it when we hide underneath a lorry, between the tires – we the unseen of Europe: http://schengendangle.jogspace.net/