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Calais: Migration and the UK Border

I don't think it's right that Greece, a much poorer country than our own with far fewer resources, is taking in a far greater number of migrants than the UK. Where has our compassion and generosity as a country gone towards humans who are desperate, alone and destitute with nowhere to go?
 
People on the ground in Calais are currently saying that if possible people should start spreading their convoys out a bit. Storage and logistics for dealing with large amounts of donated stuff are limited, and there have been a lot of vanloads crossing the channel in the last few weeks already. If you're planning a trip, or collecting stuff, it might be better to wait a month or two before taking stuff to Calais.

The time of greatest need for shelter, clothes and bedding in Calais is winter. It's important to keep up the good work over time and ensure that stuff being donated doesn't go to waste. If possible, get in touch with people on the ground in Calais before you plan a trip and try to get some real-time information on what's needed, whether there's storage available and who is around to help organise distribution.

It might be time to get some proper co-ordination in place to organise all this here in the UK. At the moment it's one bloke posting on facebook from Denmark doing most of the legwork on this.
 
There's no situation so dire that British plod can't somehow make it worse.

As for targetting people smuggling, can these be the same French authorities who not long ago were happy to negotiate with gangs of traffickers to help ensure their control over the migrants jungles?
 
SpookyFrank said:
People on the ground in Calais are currently saying that if possible people should start spreading their convoys out a bit. Storage and logistics for dealing with large amounts of donated stuff are limited, and there have been a lot of vanloads crossing the channel in the last few weeks already. If you're planning a trip, or collecting stuff, it might be better to wait a month or two before taking stuff to Calais.

The time of greatest need for shelter, clothes and bedding in Calais is winter. It's important to keep up the good work over time and ensure that stuff being donated doesn't go to waste. If possible, get in touch with people on the ground in Calais before you plan a trip and try to get some real-time information on what's needed, whether there's storage available and who is around to help organise distribution.

It might be time to get some proper co-ordination in place to organise all this here in the UK. At the moment it's one bloke posting on facebook from Denmark doing most of the legwork on this.
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Yeah, I've seen a few collecting posts on facebook and felt that a bit of the stuff was bound to end up getting dumped because it wasn't the right kind of stuff. For instance telling people to buy tents on amazon and get them delivered to collectors, that tent's going to be someone's home and a £20 one probably won't hack it.
 
8115 said:
Yeah, I've seen a few collecting posts on facebook and felt that a bit of the stuff was bound to end up getting dumped because it wasn't the right kind of stuff. For instance telling people to buy tents on amazon and get them delivered to collectors, that tent's going to be someone's home and a £20 one probably won't hack it.
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They cannibalise what they get if it isn't fit for purpose- while obviously the ideal is large multi person double skin tents with taped seams, little pop up tents are used for belongings etc too.
And needs change really quickly-yesterday it was no more wellies, today it's more wellies please, after the torrential rain.
 
It's frustrating that the only options for helping seem to be small efforts or big corporate charities.
 
8115 said:
It's frustrating that the only options for helping seem to be small efforts or big corporate charities.
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Big charities aren't in Calais- for complicated political reasons mostly. There are small charities helping- auberge d'immigrants, secours catholique. Emmanus are taking lots of stuff over. They are all trying to organise/systematise to avoid issues with storage etc, distribute fairly, anticipate demand....

But I think part of the strength of the effort is the small efforts- individuals who, in the words of one of them, choose to work together every day to try and make a difference.

One Facebook page is getting a new follower every 8 minutes at the moment- all individuals who want to do what they can to help. Sure it's a bit chaotic at times, but it is all making a difference, and putting pressure on government as a sideline.
 
peterkro said:
On news night just now,robot presenter "have you heard of "far left anarchists" promoting violence in Calais",French ambassador,rolls eyes as only the French can do,and then politely says "yes I've heard these rumours.WTF.
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Is it me or has there been a real revival of red baiting in the past couple of years?
 
Breaking news:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"There is a big protest happening here at the Salam distribution centre in the jungle and the government have cut the satellite signal so there can be no broadcast.

People are blockading the government distribution centre because they no longer want to live in worse conditions than those they left behind. It's not enough to receive 1 badly cooked meal per day. People seeking asylum in France are being given nothing and forced to live in the jungle. People have a right to dignity and many people are badly injured and left with no medical provisions to die in the jungle. La vie active who run the Salam centre profit from justifying people's prolonged stay in the jungle. Today the demonstration will continue at the gates of the centre and everyone informed why and asked not to go inside. If people want to go in they can and will not be subject to abuse. It is not good enough that racism exists in the camp and today we are one voice, one hand to stop the injustice of this border.

People of the jungle are not treated as human beings but numbers in system. We are not allowed the right to protest in the town but hidden away, they try to silence us. We will not accept this system and we will provide our own solution. The European governments made this problem and it is their responsibility to solve it in a way that gives us a better life. We did not risk our lives to suffer this inhumanity. We must stand together, this protest is the start and we will continue until our situation is resolved. We want to remain peaceful even when the police use violence against us."
Click to expand...
 
Fingers said:
1500 British families have now signed up.

meanwhile this group have acquired three caravans which being taken to calais. they aim for 1000 before christmas which i personally think will be a logistical nightmare for them but good on them

Log in to Facebook | Facebook
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I don't think they'll get 1000 but the three they do have would make good points of contact offices for people living in or volunteering in the camp imo
 
Manter said:
One Facebook page is getting a new follower every 8 minutes at the moment- all individuals who want to do what they can to help. Sure it's a bit chaotic at times, but it is all making a difference, and putting pressure on government as a sideline.
Click to expand...
Over 3500 joined since 8am this morning
Guess the outrage over the photos yesterday snowballed
 
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