Day Two – trade unionists for Calais – Sunday 14th February
There are two new school buildings established in the camp, only in the last couple of weeks, and members of our delegation went to find out what was happening. Refugees can turn up for a morning or afternoon adult lesson in either French or English. The teachers, including 4 adult ESOL teachers, and four school teachers were soon involved in teaching sessions, and worked solidly all day, grabbing a sandwich for lunch and then being picked up at 6 and promising to come back the next day as there was so much interest in the lessons.
The demand to learn English in the camp is an antidote to David Cameron’s recent comments when he suggested he would deport Muslim women and migrants supposedly unwilling to learn the language. Despite the fact Cameron has cuts millions of pounds from ESOL budgets.
There was a big clear out of the classroom, tidying the resources and making sure all the relevant books were available. It was heartening to see exercise books donated from Lambeth schools being used to write down lessons. In the room for children, four or five young people aged 2-10 dropped in and joined in doing jigsaws, playing with play dough and singing songs with the primary teachers. Some joined the Ashram kitchen where refugees and volunteers join to provide breakfast and a hot meal that is handed out to those in the camp twice a day.
The political situation grows more worrying by the day. We hear that a notice could be served by Thursday only giving 48 hours to clear homes and structures before bulldozers arrive. The camp is a terrible place in many ways, but there is a structure, there are people there to help, a sense of community and a level of organisation. If up to half the camp is destroyed and the only alternatives are to go into the ‘prison like’ container structures or to go to the respite centres scattered across France and isolated, then it will leave thousands with no hope, no shelter, no access to food and support.
In any case there are not enough places being offered for everyone. ‘This is a human rights crisis’ said one aid worker. There is a need to make sure this news gets out and any threat to destroy the camp is met with strong opposition from all especially our politicians back home. After a long and constructive day, we arranged to be back the following day. In the evening, two more joined us, we ate and discussed the day, read the reports we could find in the French and English media on the threats of demolition and planned for an early start with much to do.
