Empathy Unveiled: Understanding the Calais Migrants Camp
The Jungle of Calais, a makeshift refugee camp in northern France, has been a symbol of the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe. This article explores the history behind the Jungle and its social and media awareness in France.
A History of the Jungle of Calais
According to the BBC, the Jungle of Calais emerged in the early 2000s, established by the Red-Cross in Sangatte, located a mile from the Eurotunnel that connects France to the UK. Its inception was a response to the burgeoning number of people seeking to cross the border into the UK. The arrivals hailed from regions like Kosovo in Eastern Europe, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The camp’s existence has been marred by a severe lack of proper infrastructure, sanitation, and safety measures, rendering it a place of immense hardship for its residents. Its growth and persistence were fuelled by factors such as ongoing conflicts, economic instability, and persecution in the refugees’ countries of origin.
In 2002, owing to the overwhelming influx of refugees and pressure from the British, the decision was made to close the camp. However, when the Sangatte facility was shut down, many refugees simply moved into the surrounding woods, giving rise to illegal camps and what became the first “Jungle.”
In 2014, the second ‘Jungle’ camp emerged, this time drawing migrants from Syria and other Middle Eastern nations, as well as various African countries like Somalia and Eritrea. What had initially been a refugee camp housing 1,700 people quickly swelled to accommodate 7,000 individuals.
Seven years ago, the camp housed about 10,000 residents. The same year, in 2016, French police demolished the camps with the aim of wiping out these ‘Jungles’. However, according to The Guardian, around 2,000 people continue to reside in the woods, warehouses, or under bridges, including approximately 300 unaccompanied children.
Social Media presence
Unfortunately, few people are aware of the situation happening in the north of France, as is evidenced on social media or even by speaking with people in the street.
If you search for Jungle of Calais in X (ex-Twitter) this is what you will find:
There is no relevant and updated information about what is going on today, in 2023. Instead, X (ex-Twitter) gives tweets posted in 2020, three years ago.
On Instagram, topic awareness is also poor.
Surprised by the fact social media does not have significant coverage of a social and political situation, we decided to interview thirty-five people asking about how much awareness they have.
We conducted a brief survey in the greater Paris region and on social media on the 10th of October 2023. Most participants fell within the 20–25 age group. The results indicated that significant respondents had no prior knowledge of the topic. Only three individuals mentioned hearing about it through television, albeit with limited information.
Two people we surveyed from Sudan provided more in-depth insights — although this was unsurprising as they had friends with direct experience of the subject.
They explained how their friends in Calais tried to sneak into England by hiding in trucks, pointing out that police treatment varied from one officer to the other. Additionally, they reported actions of nonprofit organizations that helped, including meals, laundry, and phone charging, three days per week.
According to a different testimony from a volunteer with an association, the police hampered their attempts to offer assistance by asserting that it was the state’s obligation to provide services, not theirs. These viewpoints draw attention to the complexity of the circumstances in Calais and the divergent views on how to assist migrants.
The living conditions in the Jungle of Calais are bad. The residents there have had to endure an appalling lack of access to basic human needs, such as clean water, sanitation facilities, and medical care. This dire situation has not only exposed them to grave health risks but also made them vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
The conflicts within this temporary community have added additional layers of complexity to the already strained relations between local authorities, humanitarian organizations dedicated to providing aid, and the residents themselves. This is a distressing and deeply concerning situation that requires immediate attention and resolution.
It’s not going away — Christian Payne
What we can do?
If you want to help the refugees and take part in this serious human matter, here are some links you could help too.
Donating at CalaisAppeal.org
Donating is a great way for organizations in the warehouse to provide hot meals, tents, and clothing for refugees and help them get through their daily struggles.
Volunteering in Calais with SupportRefugees
Volunteering at ChooseLove
Volunteering also helps a lot of refugees providing them with medical help if they need it or any other support as well as psychological help.
Support Medecins Sans Frontieres
An international, independent medical humanitarian organization.
Please don’t hesitate to share this article with people who know can help these refugees whether they are friends or family.
About this article
This article has been written by a group of students at the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Strategy Management. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminating the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DSM.
