Calais humanitarian helper shocked at actions of police
Kathy O’Hare, who returned from volunteering on Wednesday, criticised how the authorities tried to clear the camp and how they handled the relocation of the thousands of migrants who lived at there.
“It was very surreal to watch the camp being bulldozed by the French authorities, who had gone to court to get an order to handle the matter humanely. There was nothing human about what happened Monday morning, I was shocked and horrified by what I witnessed,” she said. Ms O’Hare said trouble started as she was working on the digital radio station within the camp.
“All hell broke loose, there was tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets flying. It is easy for the mainstream media to project a negative image of the refugees. But it started when a refugee stood on the roof to protect his settlement and was surrounded by riot police. Some children threw stones at them and it started,” she said.
She said converted white shipping containers used to house migrants only have the capacity to house about 1,500 refugees, and that 3,000 to 4,000 have no obvious place to go. Trust between the authorities and the Calais community was being eroded due to the way in which the French are communicating with the migrants, Ms O’Hare said. They provide buses at 10am and 3pm to bring migrants to new accommodation.
“Once they are on the bus they have no idea where they are actually going. Three unaccompanied minors thought they were going to the UK. It’s very disconcerting that the French can’t see that they need to provide more detail. The voluntary sector would work with the French authorities if they were willing to,” she said.
Ms O’Hare and a number of volunteers provided a digital radio station where refugees in the camp have made podcasts across a number of topics, such as arts, politics, and life in the camp. Volunteers have trained refugees on developing story ideas, editing, and production, and have made 14 shows to date.
