French police exploit scabies epidemic to clear migrant camps
Calais Migrant Solidarity | 21.08.2009 13:54 | Migration | Repression | World
calaisolidarity@gmail.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : 21.08.09
A squat in Calais, occupied by dozens of Afghan migrants, was destroyed yesterday morning by the French authorities under the pretext of an anti-scabies operation.
The French government is exploiting a scabies epidemic to clear the migrants from the ad-hoc encampments known as the ‘Jungles’ in the Calais area.
At approximately 10am, scores of unknown individuals wearing gasmasks and dressed in white uniforms, entered the Tajik/Hazara squat in scrubland near the ferry port, tore apart their shelters and sprayed an irritant chemical over their belongings. They claimed to be disinfecting the area as part of a programme to treat scabies, despite the fact that the operation was officially cancelled by the French government. Cooking utensils were contaminated, and the absence of running water in the camps made cleaning their equipment especially difficult. “ We are not animals.” One Afghan said. The unknown individuals also seized essential materials such as clothing, and arrested six people, all under the gaze of several vanloads of CRS police.
Humanitarian groups and activists from the No Border Network and Calais Migrant Solidarity had been monitoring the situation in the numerous camps – which in all, are inhabited by some 1,800 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan – but the raid occurred shortly after they had left the camp for the morning.
This incident indicates change in tactics by the French authorities as they now seek to justify the continued repression of migrants in Calais, which has been drawing increased criticism by human rights groups. They intend to protest against the daily raids and police repression with a demonstration leaving from Coquelles detention centre at 2pm on Saturday 22nd August.
At approximately 10am, scores of unknown individuals wearing gasmasks and dressed in white uniforms, entered the Tajik/Hazara squat in scrubland near the ferry port, tore apart their shelters and sprayed an irritant chemical over their belongings. They claimed to be disinfecting the area as part of a programme to treat scabies, despite the fact that the operation was officially cancelled by the French government. Cooking utensils were contaminated, and the absence of running water in the camps made cleaning their equipment especially difficult. “ We are not animals.” One Afghan said. The unknown individuals also seized essential materials such as clothing, and arrested six people, all under the gaze of several vanloads of CRS police.
Humanitarian groups and activists from the No Border Network and Calais Migrant Solidarity had been monitoring the situation in the numerous camps – which in all, are inhabited by some 1,800 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan – but the raid occurred shortly after they had left the camp for the morning.
This incident indicates change in tactics by the French authorities as they now seek to justify the continued repression of migrants in Calais, which has been drawing increased criticism by human rights groups. They intend to protest against the daily raids and police repression with a demonstration leaving from Coquelles detention centre at 2pm on Saturday 22nd August.
Calais Migrant Solidarity
Comments
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reality
21.08.2009 17:28
Practical issues: What would happen, lets suppose, if a country like Norway was to completly open its borders to anyone from anywhere. What would happen. Norway population 500 million, total implosion of society. Thats the reality. Now you may have a hippy type perspective on reality. Fair enough, society on a community wide basis can change, theoretically, with the manifestation of asupcious magic community wide, but thats really, (sorry), not whats going on here. These guys wanna make money. Thats the reality.
Now you may say (kinda like the 'white mans burden') that 'we' have fucked up their reality, their cosmic (genuinely very often) reality with invasion, colonialisation etc etc. Now they need to move due to poverty. Maybe. I would say the solution is to withdraw entirely from business etc etc with 'third world' countries and stop fucking/raping them as a result.
I think that you, No borders, should tell it as it is about life in blighty.
I.e. WAKE UP YOU FUCKING PRICKS.
old school
Hardly Solidarity
24.08.2009 14:43
Clearly you know nothing about who these people are and what they are going through. Maybe you should come down to Calais for a weekend and join us and them trying to make their lives better. Stupid ideas like that thirteen year old afghan boys are somehow evil capitalist entrepenours have no place on this website. They are desperate terrified people, many of them children as young as 7 or 8. So please dont talk about what you dont understand.
NoBorders
e-mail:
2existis2resist@riseup.net
WTF
24.08.2009 15:11
You are also under the impression that the police have somehow given permission for people to build these camps. The reality is that everyday people are arrested, detained, beaten, peppersprayed. They have their water poisoned and food covered in tear gas. Once the police entered the eritrean squat here and sprayed a sleeping pregnant women in the face and she lost her child. I hardly think that the UKBA, as vicious as they are, would be able to get away with such things.
Think carefully and understand the facts before you make another stupid comment like that, for example it wouldnt matter to the people of eritrea if we stopped trading with them, they dont trade anyway. Forced conscription and abitrary arrests, people want to leave; so Fuck you and your pathetic comments
No borders