This is an introduction to the type of humanitarian aid brought by grassroots organisations to the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais (France). This presentation draws on some of the research findings of my Masters dissertation.
Geostrategic significance of South Asian countries.ppt
Grassroots Humanitarian Aid in the Informal Refugee Camp of Calais
1. GRASSROOTS
HUMANITARIAN AID IN
THE JUNGLE OF
CALAIS
How grassroots organisations organise humanitarian relief in Calais
Elisa Sandri – MA Anthropology of Development, University of Sussex
2. Overview
■ Who’s in the Jungle?
■ Grassroots organisations
■ My research findings
■ What you can do
3. JULY CENSUS
■ 7037 camp residents
■ 761 children – the youngest
is five months old
■ 608 unaccompanied minors –
the youngest is 8. Average
time spent in the
Jungle: 5 months
■ Image: HelpRefugees July 2016
5. The Jungle
■ No UNHCR or formal aid
■ 80 toilets for 7,000 people
■ Chest infections, wound infections,
malaria, chickenpox
■ Smuggling and trafficking, gang violence
■ Police brutality
Images: Elisa Sandri
8. Not everyone is illegal!
■ Dublin IIITreaty: Right to ‘Safe passage’
“The most important set of criteria relates to applicants with family
members or relatives already legally present in a Member State or
who have already made an application there (Articles 8 to 11) […]
these provisions promote family unity by allowing members of a
family to have their applications for international protection
examined in the same Member State” (AADH, 2015)
■ Dubs Amendment
14. Positive aspects of informal aid
■ No bureaucracy means that organisations can act quickly
■ All the donations and money go directly towards helping
refugees
■ It’s better than nothing
■ Spread awareness about what happens in the camp
15. Limits of informal aid
■ Grassroots organisations cannot provide safety for camp
residents
■ Grassroots are dependent on public funding and on
donations
■ Are grassroots initiatives just putting a plaster on the
problem?
■ There is no plan for Calais or for Europe – more unified
advocacy is needed!
16. What you can do
■ Donate items to HelpRefugees: tents, sleeping bags are
always needed!
■ Donate smartphones to the Hummingbird Project
■ Fundraise for other groups/charities
■ Volunteer
■ Write to your MP
■ Spread the word on social media
17.
18. References
■ AADH (2015) Memorandum of the Dublin III Regulation. Freshfields Bruckhaus LLP
■ HelpRefugees (2016) New CalaisCensus Released – 700 Children in Calais, 78% On
Their Own. 20th June 2016.Available from:
http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/06/20/new-calais-census-released-700-children-
in-calais-78-on-their-own/
■ TheTelegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/12175069/Calais-
migrants-heading-for-Britain-refuse-to-leave-Jungle-camp.html
Editor's Notes
The camp is still there despite the evictions and actually its population is rising.
2002: Sangatte Centre closed
2015: 1 million people reached the shores of Europe (UNHCR)
Dubs Amendment: 3,000 unaccompanied children granted safe passage in the UK. However, there are 24,000 unaccompanied minors across Europe. So far, no child has been taken in yet
Case of Oscar, young toddler in Dunkirk
They all started as aid convoys but then specialised. Some of them are now registered charities
HelpRefugees: in charge of the warehouse with the Auberge des Migrants
Not the usual refugee supporters.
Different ways of doing activism. It brought people closer to politics
Humanitarianism vs. politics
In a neoliberal fashion, the state delegates their responsibility to the civil society: is it the same in Calais?
HelpRefugees warehouse had to be suspended in July, lack of donations