Calais Update: 30/4/2018
l’Auberge des Migrants’ solidarity march begins in Ventimiglia | Condemnation of four smugglers from Albania and Romania | Guilty Feminist Live in London and Calais this Wednesday
The solidarity march
Today, on Monday April the 30th, l’Auberge des Migrants’ solidarity march has been launched. Dozens of volunteers, supporters, and activists from associations are aiming to reach London (United Kingdom) on July the 8th starting today from Ventimiglia (Italy). The distance is equivalent to 1600 kilometers, with 60 stages.
The objective : Generating a wake-up call from citizens by organising conferences, debates, and other mass events in favour of welcoming migrants, against the delit-de-solidarite (crimes of solidarity) and restrictive migrant policies. These policies don’t call into question blockading borders, something considered by François Guennoc, l’Auberge des Migrants’ vice-president, quoted by La Croix, as inefficient, expensive, inhuman, and illegal. The association manager underlined on FranceInfo that this solidarity march will be a way to bring to light French helpers in order to promote a change of attitudes in the medium- and long-term. Therefore this initiative is going beyond the debate around the Asylum and Immigration law (which was voted on April the 22nd at first reading by the French National Assembly)
The march is sponsored by the Etats Généraux des migrations, and supported by many different people and organizations such as José Bové, Mgr Gaillot, the singer Alexis HK, la ligue de l’enseignement (the teaching league), la France Insoumise and Europe Ecologie les Verts.
Condemnation of four smugglers
Four smugglers have been convicted in Northern France : one person from Albania living in Belgium and three people from Romania accused of having smuggled migrants illegally from France to England for amounts up to 10,000€ each. These people have been condemned to 30 to 36 months’ sentences with 12 months’ suspended sentences, a five year ban from French territory and continuing detention.
Guilty Feminist live in Calais and London on Wednesday!
In London this Wednesday?
The Guilty Feminist presents Comics for Calais — a fundraiser for Help Refugees with Sindhu Vee, Desiree Burch, Jessica Fostekew and Phill Jupitus.
Music from Ali McGregor and the cast of Suffrageddon!
If you are volunteering in Calais this week, join us and a stellar lineup of comedians including Deborah Frances-White live in Calais! Including a live Skype link with the London show.
See the Facebook event for the London show here: https://www.facebook.com/events/614456712234228/
