FXB Center for Health and Human Rights: An Icy Wind Blows, Migrant Diaries from Calais, France
Calais — Lynne Jones, IIHA Mental Health in Complex Emergencies Instructor, reflects on her experience offering mental health services to migrants in France.
The French government thought that destroying ‘the Jungle’ — the self-made community of refugees on the outskirts of Calais — would solve the ‘migrant’ problem in the town, but all they have done is scatter the migrants farther out and make some of them go into hiding. The community has dispersed, but the people have not disappeared. The pepper spray and nightly removal of sleeping bags has not stopped the procession of dreamers coming north. At any one time there is an estimated population of around 1000 in the town but it is constantly changing so the actual numbers of those passing through are much higher.
This bleak corner is just one of a number of distribution points. I spent part of yesterday afternoon standing at the main one on a piece of wasteland under an electricity pylon, in the industrial zone just along from the site of the old Jungle. At least 200 young refugees had gathered for afternoon distribution. There was a van serving hot food out the back door. The Refugee Youth Service had set up another van with an awning and put out tables and chairs where young boys were playing chess. Further over, a group of Afghans were playing cricket. The School Bus was there offering English classes and social activities. Given that all the refugees here had spent the night sleeping in the surrounding hedges, the atmosphere was remarkably cheerful. There were also toilets and sinks, both stand-alone chemical ones and some in trucks.
An excerpt from Dr. Lynne Jones (IIHA Mental Health in Complex Emergencies Instructor) writing for the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. Read more on their website.
