From Watch The Borders Via Calais Migrant Solidarity
Calais: A new 4 meter high soundproof wall is to be built by the motorway from the port to Marcel Doret, to replace the fence and stop migrants from going on the motorway. It is paid for by the UK government. Inside, the wall will be covered with pretty plants, no plants outside because migrants could use the plants to climb the wall. A new height in stupidity in the mismanagement of the ‘refugee crisis’?
Another person has died in Calais, the seventh this year. A young man was found dead by the motorway on the morning of Monday 4th July. Last year 26 people died trying to cross Calais border, that we know of, including women and underage boys.
Many people are injured by police, hit by truncheons, sprayed with CS gas. Monday 20th June there were two big traffic jams, many people went on the motorway to try to go to England and dozens were injured by police, including underage boys. Most were shot at with gas grenades and rubber bullets fired directly at them, resulting in serious injuries to face, limbs, torso. Two volunteers were shot at too, one was hit on the shoulder. Two other volunteers were arrested on fabricated charges, later released by the judge. It is illegal for the police to fire gas and rubber bullets directly at people, and if you are injured by police go and report it at the info point next to the Mosque (ex-Syrian tent) and Calais kitchen, or to the legal centre near Ashram kitchen, it is open 3 pm to 6 pm every working day.
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Supplies are scarce, and distributions of raw food now stopped for a week. A big aid convoy heading for Calais from the UK was stopped at the Dover border on the 18th June, people of the convoy stopped all traffic to the ferry port in Dover in protest but were moved by police.Grande-Synthe: A new fence on the model of Calais is to be built to prevent people from going on the motorway. The State take charge of the new camp at Linieres, stop new people from settling there, destroy shelters left empty, with intention to reduce size and then close the camp.
Dieppe and Cherbourg camps evicted again (29/06 and 07/07). Fascists held a demonstration in Dieppe.
Choques: Migrants who were evicted from the small camp tried to set up a new camp on private land. The owner of the land called the police and they were obliged to move. Most are now in Calais.
Norrent Fontes (Isebergues) and Hazebrouk (Steenvorde) jungles are also threatened with eviction.
New evictions in Calais are to be expected late September, as 3000 new places in CAO (centres d’accueil et orientation) are going to be created. If you have fingerprints in other countries do not go to CAO, as they will deport you directly from there (contrary to what they tell you). For correct advice go to the legal centre near Ashram kitchen, every day from 3 pm to 6 pm. The government and local authorities still intend to destroy Calais new jungle and leave only the containers, and the places for women inside the Jules-Ferry centre, for a max of 2000 people. The police counted 4500 people in the jungle, the associations 6100+ but that was a month ago, and new people arrive every day (20 to 60 per day), numbers are going up very rapidly. No news of the visit to Calais of President Hollande, but it seems he will not come before the 14th of July.
Paris: evictions and re-occupations continue. A new ‘humanitarian camp’ to be created North of Paris, in September. We must defend the right to houses for all, and oppose segregation in State-run camps.
International news
Brexit: most people in UK have voted to leave the European Union. There are no changes for now, and it will take two years to make new accords and implement the exit of the UK. Hollande, president of France, said the accords of Toquet (by which the UK moved their border to France) stay in place. Big demonstration against austerity and against racism next Saturday 16th July in London.
2899 people have died in the Mediterranean this year. Thousands are arriving in Italy (5000 on the busiest day!) 238,983 arrivals in Europe total, 230,885 by sea 8,049 by land (IOM data, 6th July)
The Balkan route is full of people again, most travel with smugglers now. Deportations from Hungary to Serbia, 1300 stranded at the border in very bad conditions. Ventimiglia border is closed, very difficult to pass from there. Austria building a fence at its border with Italy.
EU-Turkey accords for the deportation of Syrians and other refugees from Greece back to Turkey. Most people applied for asylum in Greece and are now waiting, but the answer is usually negative. Turkey has deported thousands back to Syria, hundreds to Afghanistan. Turkey border police are shooting and have killed many Syrians who were trying to cross the border, including children.
Greece has destroyed the camps at Idomeni and put all the people in new camps, guarded by the Army. Conditions in these camps are terrible, there is not enough of anything, no medical care, overcrowding, very bad hygienic conditions and no freedom. There is a No Border camp in Thessaloniki, many of the new camps are near Thessaloniki.http://noborder2016.espivblogs.net/
Iraq. Baghdad: over 200 people died in the biggest suicide attack ever. North Iraq: significant gains of the Iraq Army and Kurdish militias against Daesh (ISIS).
Afghanistan: over 150 people killed in attacks in Kabul since the beginning of the year. Many more refugees are fleeing, including women and children. Yet most European governments still say it is ‘safe’ to deport Afghans to Kabul. Clashes at the border with Pakistan.
Sudan deporting Eritreans back to Eritrea, after new accords with the EU. Eritrea has also closed its border. Eritrea and Ethiopia on the verge of war. Jordan has closed its border leaving thousands of Syrians stranded in the desert.
South Sudan: war resumes, new clashes in Juba. Tens of thousands dead sinceo the war began, most of the 11 million inhabitants displaced or at risk of starvation.
#BlackLivesMatter: Protests against police killing Black people. Big protests in many US cities. Some policemen were shot at and 5 were killed in retaliation in Dallas by a Black ex-serviceman . Big protests also in London and other UK cities. In 2015, 258 Black people were killed by US police. In 2016, as of July 7, US police have shot dead 509 people, of whom 123 were Black. In UK one person gets killed by police every week, on average.