Refugee crisis: What asylum seekers in the Calais Jungle

hope for in 2016

In a place widely regarded as being devoid of hope, is there any left at all for the
upcoming year?

Pascale Hughes, Helen Spooner

Tuesday 5 January 2016

The refugee crisis defined 2015. In the last year, more than a million people have fled their
homes in search of safety, with many risking their lives in the process.
After the body of three-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the shores of Turkey in September,
European governments came under immense pressure to act. And, to an extent, they did.
Britain is now accepting 20,000 Syrian refugees until 2020, while France will take 30,000 in
the next two years, and Germany will accept 500,000 every year.
But theres a problem. As anyone who has followed the crisis will know, not all refugees are
Syrian. Many are from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and a considerable number of them
can be found just across the channel in Calais.
Its impossible to know just exactly how many men, women, and children are living in The
Jungle the towns now infamous refugee camp but the latest estimate is over 7,000.
The camp is built on a rubbish dump, and you can tell. A dirt track winds through the camp
from one end to another, lined by shops, restaurants and even a barbers shop built from wood
and tarpaulins. Walking along this strip you get an impression that things perhaps arent so
bad but stepping off the road you see row after row of makeshift tents covering uneven
boggy land. Debris and human waste are everywhere.
While the camp has largely been ignored by the French government, it hasnt been by the
press. In the last year it has become the uneasy symbol of the worlds forgotten refugees,
caught in a strange limbo between misery and safety.
Every so often theres news that another inhabitant of the camp has died trying to smuggle
themselves to Britain. Already this year a fifteen year old boy from Afghanistan has died in
the back of a lorry. And recently The Jungle was in the news again after Banksy graffitied
an image of Steve Jobs within the camp, whose father was a Syrian migrant.
In the run up to New Years, we decided to volunteer at the camp with the charity LAuberge
des Migrants. In between sorting through the clothes and food that people have donated, we
wanted to know how the people living in the camp felt about 2016. In a place that is widely
regarded as being devoid of hope, was there any left at all for the upcoming year?
Danny, 26, from Eritrea has been living in the camp in Calais for 3 months.
I dont hope for anything in 2016 because tomorrow is just another day. The 5 changes to a
6, you might write the date differently, but for me nothing will change. I fled Eritrea after
being forced to serve in the in army for ten years when recruited at the age of 15. I had no

choice but to flee - I would have been forced to fight until I died. I hoped I would gain the
freedom to make my own choices in the UK, but here, in the jungle, Im not free either.
Abia, 34, and Nina, 3, from Iraq, have been in the camp for 4 months
At the moment I want a bigger shelter. Right now there are six of us living in here: me, my
cousin, my three brothers, and Nina. My husband sadly didnt make it to Calais. I suppose
there wouldnt be any space in here for him anyway - its already so crowded, although at
least this way we are warmer. But a bigger tent would be more comfortable - although Im not
saying I want to stay here. I dont want Nina to grow up here, its not safe for children. I hope
we will be able to reach a place where she can go to school one day.
John, 30, from Afghanistan, has been living in the camp for 3 months
Id like to reach Hackney in London, so I can live with my brother. He was granted asylum
in the UK in 2010 and has been living there ever since. The thing is, its impossible to cross
the border, and so I wont be able to claim asylum in the UK. Im doing better than most
people here with my shop, but I cant stay like this - its not the life anyone would want.
When it rains everything is soaked through and its so loud on the roof of my tent. It gets very
cold. Back home I had a textile shop where I imported textiles from China and India. I would
love to be able to open my own shop in London.
Omer, 19, from Kurdistan, has been in the camp for 3 months
I hope Ill be able get this generator to work. I dont think too far ahead because here you
cant allow yourself to dream too much. This isnt living. We do nothing but waiting all day,
and then try to make the crossing in the evening. Its dangerous here too. Theres is so much
frustration that people get very aggressive. I heard two people died last night there was a big
fight in the camp. But theres nothing I can do about that. If we can just get the generator to
work then we can sit inside Mohammeds place, outside of the cold and the rain.
Hussain from Pakistan, 42, has been living in the camp for 2 months
Id like to go back to Birmingham. I lived there for two years, working in construction. I
loved it there. I worked hard and built myself a life and had many friends. I went back to
Pakistan in 2013 to be with my family, and now I cant go back to the UK. Im trapped here:
if I go back to my family in Pakistan I throw away everything I sacrificed to get here. I want
them to be able to join me in Birmingham; there is no opportunity for us where I come from we dont have enough money to live. Why should the place I was born prevent me from being
able to earn enough money to feed my family?

Aslam from Afghanistan, 24, has been in the camp for 2 months
Next year I want to complete my business degree. I had been studying for two years in Kabul
when the Taliban attacked the city and my course was put on hold. Next year I want to finish
my degree and graduate. Then I could go on to get a good job and earn money. Right now I
am so poor, I have nothing. There is no chance of making any money in my country, its such
a mess.

Mohamed from Sudan, 22 has been living in Calais for 10 months

I hope that my hand will stop hurting. I tried to make the crossing on the train a few weeks
ago, but the police caught me. They were very aggressive and broke these two fingers. I
havent been able to see a doctor and I dont think my fingers will ever look normal again.
The police always seem so angry. Some nights, they throw tear gas from the road down into
the tents. There are women and children here too. Its not fair, where do they think we will
go?
Firas, 18, from Syria, arrived at the camp last night
I just want a tent and coat. I have been travelling on foot for the last three months and I
dont have anything. When I have those things, come back and ask me. Right now Im too
cold.