UNHCR concerned about the conditions of refugees and migrants in Calais and Dunkerque, in particular children

Briefing Notes, 5 February 2016

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 5 February 2016, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Some 4,000 refugees and migrants are currently reported to be living in the Calais "jungle" and almost 2,500 in Grande-Synthe, on the edges of Dunkerque, often in dire circumstances, aggravated by the winter conditions. UNHCR is specifically concerned about the living conditions of children, in particular unaccompanied and separated children, and would welcome the establishment of additional emergency reception places such as the children's centre (Maison du jeune réfugié) in St Omer (run by France terre d'asile), or other structures responding to the protection needs of children, including those under 15. Furthermore, options for simplifying the child protection procedures, particularly for those children with relatives in another EU Member State, should be urgently explored.

We are pleased to note the various measures taken by the French authorities to provide emergency assistance to the refugees and migrants living in Calais and Grande-Synthe to address the urgent humanitarian needs. These measures include the decision to establish a temporary centre called "Centre d'Accueil Provisoire (CAP)" in Calais, run by La Vie Active, and to organize the voluntary relocation of refugees and migrants to accommodation centres called "Centres d'Accueil et Orientation" (CAO) throughout the country, which provide emergency reception for those willing to avail themselves of it regardless of whether or not they have applied for asylum. As of early February, more than 700 people were hosted in the CAP in Calais and 2,431 people had chosen to go to one of 92 CAOs since the initiative started on 22 October 2015.

In our assessment, the refugees and migrants living in Calais and Dunkerque would benefit from the intensified provision of information and legal advice. In the current situation, residents of the Calais "jungle" receive mixed, sometimes inaccurate and conflicting information from a variety of different sources. Strengthening the coordination among all actors for the provision of assistance, as well as accurate and objective information, would be key, including to people residing in CAOs.

At best, humanitarian assistance provided in these locations is a stop-gap intervention to alleviate the worst suffering. Fundamentally, the individuals concerned need information about their options in France, and those in need of international protection need to be strongly encouraged to seek asylum in France. They also need to be informed of the possible consequences if they do not do so. Another important measure would be ensuring adequate reception facilities, support, including legal assistance, as well as psycho-social care.

Another measure is the use of existing legal provisions for those with relatives in other EU Member States to enable them to join their family members quickly. The recent UK court decision where the asylum tribunal judges ruled that three unaccompanied and separated children and an older brother (dependent of one of the children) should be allowed to join their relatives in the UK while their asylum claims are considered by the Home Office, is a step towards achieving this. UNHCR has long advocated for the pro-active application of the Dublin III Regulation and urges States to use the opportunity to develop an expedited procedure for unaccompanied and separated children in one EU Member State to join their relatives in another.

UNHCR is prepared to support the authorities in all these measures, including, as of 8 February, through an enhanced presence in the Calais region.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

  • In London, Andrej Mahecic on mobile +44 78 8023 0985
  • In Paris, Celine Schmitt on mobile +33 623 16 1178
  • In Geneva, William Spindler on mobile +41 79 217 3011
• DONATE NOW •

 

• GET INVOLVED • • STAY INFORMED •

Related Stories

more documents

UNHCR country pages

UNHCR Syria In Focus newsletter

Syria Crisis: The biggest humanitarian emergency of our era

over 4 million Syrians are now refugees


Donate now

UNHCR Syria: A Year in Review 2013

Thousands of desperate Syrian refugees seek safety in Turkey after outbreak of fresh fighting

Renewed fighting in northern Syria since June 3 has sent a further 23,135 refugees fleeing across the border into Turkey's southern Sanliurfa province. Some 70 per cent of these are women and children, according to information received by UNHCR this week.

Most of the new arrivals are Syrians escaping fighting between rival military forces in and around the key border town of Tel Abyad, which faces Akcakale across the border. They join some 1.77 million Syrian refugees already in Turkey.

However, the influx also includes so far 2,183 Iraqis from the cities of Mosul, Ramadi and Falujjah.

According to UNHCR field staff most of the refugees are exhausted and arrive carrying just a few belongings. Some have walked for days. In recent days, people have fled directly to Akcakale to escape fighting in Tel Abyad which is currently reported to be calm.

Thousands of desperate Syrian refugees seek safety in Turkey after outbreak of fresh fighting

Cold, Uncomfortable and Hungry in Calais

For years, migrants and asylum-seekers have flocked to the northern French port of Calais in hopes of crossing the short stretch of sea to find work and a better life in England. This hope drives many to endure squalid, miserable conditions in makeshift camps, lack of food and freezing temperatures. Some stay for months waiting for an opportunity to stow away on a vehicle making the ferry crossing.

Many of the town's temporary inhabitants are fleeing persecution or conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan and Syria. And although these people are entitled to seek asylum in France, the country's lack of accommodation, administrative hurdles and language barrier, compel many to travel on to England where many already have family waiting.

With the arrival of winter, the crisis in Calais intensifies. To help address the problem, French authorities have opened a day centre as well as housing facilities for women and children. UNHCR is concerned with respect to the situation of male migrants who will remain without shelter solutions. Photographer Julien Pebrel recently went to Calais to document their lives in dire sites such as the Vandamme squat and next to the Tioxide factory.

Cold, Uncomfortable and Hungry in Calais

Abdu finds his voice in Germany

When bombs started raining down on Aleppo, Syria, in 2012, the Khawan family had to flee. According to Ahmad, the husband of Najwa and father of their two children, the town was in ruins within 24 hours.

The family fled to Lebanon where they shared a small flat with Ahmad's two brothers and sisters and their children. Ahmad found sporadic work which kept them going, but he knew that in Lebanon his six-year-old son, Abdu, who was born deaf, would have little chance for help.

The family was accepted by Germany's Humanitarian Assistance Programme and resettled into the small central German town of Wächtersbach, near Frankfurt am Main. Nestled in a valley between two mountain ranges and a forest, the village has an idyllic feel.

A year on, Abdu has undergone cochlear implant surgery for the second time. He now sports two new hearing aids which, when worn together, allow him to hear 90 per cent. He has also joined a regular nursery class, where he is learning for the first time to speak - German in school and now Arabic at home. Ahmed is likewise studying German in a nearby village, and in two months he will graduate with a language certificate and start looking for work. He says that he is proud at how quickly Abdu is learning and integrating.

Abdu finds his voice in Germany

Za'atari oldest manPlay video

Za'atari oldest man

At 113, Yousef is a very old man. Until conflict forced him to flee Syria two years ago, his life was spent peacefully with his farm, his shop, his three children and 160 descendants nearby. Now, he is perhaps the oldest resident of Za'aatri refugee camp in Jordan. "He was sad when we told him we wanted to leave," says his daughter Nejmeh. "He tells me he wants to go back to Syria…He made me promise, if he dies, to bury him in Syria."
United Kingdom: High Commissioner calls for more funding for Syrian Refugees Play video

United Kingdom: High Commissioner calls for more funding for Syrian Refugees

Speaking at the London Syria Conference, the head of the UN Refugee Agency Filippo Grandi called for a significant increase in pledges to offer much-needed stability, opportunities and hope to Syrian refugees, who are becoming more vulnerable as a brutal war has raged for five years
Lebanon: Newborn Boy Spends First Winter In A WarehousePlay video

Lebanon: Newborn Boy Spends First Winter In A Warehouse

Just ten days old, Syrian infant Mohammed is already experiencing the harshness of refugee life. Living with his family in a warehouse without furniture, natural light or permanent heat, he is already battling his first cold.