In Northern France, people who wish to reach the UK to apply for asylum – with it being their absolute right to do so - have no other way except for so-called ‘illegal’ and incredibly dangerous Channel crossings.

While they are still in France, they have zero access to dignified and appropriate accommodation, which results in most people having to stay in informal ‘camp settlements’ scattered around the areas of Calais and Dunkirk. On top of this, people on-the-move are subject to regular and often violent ‘police evictions’ during which almost all of their belongings, including tents and sleeping bags, are seized and destroyed, quite literally leaving them with nothing. This is done under the pretence of taking people to a ‘shelter,’ while the real reason is to make the environment as hostile as possible. 

There is no excuse for this. It is unacceptable, cruel, and inhumane, and it is a violation of basic human rights, for every person has the right to safety, the right to personal belongings, and the right to be treated equally no matter where they are from. They have every right for their dignity to be respected.

Collective Aid believes that what the state should be doing - instead of forcefully taking people to accommodation centres that are far from where they wish to stay, and where living conditions are sometimes even worse than in the ‘jungles’ - is providing dignified accommodation and the possibility of a safe passage. But until then, and as long as people's best option is living in tents, tents are what we will continue to provide.

This is where you step in: for next winter, we want to make sure that we can provide material support, especially tents, for everyone who needs it. This winter, we have been able to distribute 3,600 tents to people living in the area of Calais and Dunkirk; however, over the same period, 4,217* have been seized by the police.  For next winter we want to make sure we can provide enough tents to support both new people who arrive in Calais as well as all those who lose their tents to the police. We are raising £40,000 (roughly 46,000€) which will enable us to buy approximately 5000 tents, and ensure that for every tent the police take, we are able to replace it immediately. 

If you wish to stand in solidarity with the people in Calais and Dunkirk, share this message, and if you can donate via the link below. Let’s turn discontent into action.