How british tax money finances police violence in Calais, France

Another day, another boat carrying displaced people trying to reach Britain capsized on its way from France to England. Politicians on both sides are once again keen to acknowledge the tragedy and promise to take more steps to avoid further catastrophes in the future. English home secretary Yvette Cooper called the deaths „horrifying and deeply tragic incidents“ and called to strengthen border security which she described as „vital and must proceed apace.“

As a volunteer who has worked alongside the charity „Collective Aid“ at Calais in the summer of 2022, I would like to add some insights. This week the French police cleared away the camp known as „BMX“ hours after the disaster happened, forcefully evicting displaced people and seizing their belongings. „BMX“ as well as „Unicorn“ and multiple other were sites we as volunteers visited on an almost a daily basis to provide displaced people with new and clean clothing, toiletries, sleeping bags, tents, shoes, and backpacks. Due to a demand that outstripped our supply, we had to operate on a policy that enforced limiting certain items. People who had no access to washing machines, showers, or the most basic sanitary resources were confronted with questions that I myself, as a volunteer, found hard to answer.

Would you rather have a clean pair of socks or underwear? Do you want new jeans or a warm jumper? Choose between a sleeping bag, a jacket, a blanket, or a tent?

You may wonder why there were so many people desperate for new clothing, shelter, and warmth. Not only does Calais possess a very windy, damp, and cool climate. The decision of the British government to pay France to stop channel crossings plays a huge part in it as well. Between 2018 - 2022 alone, tax payers financed 222 million euros of border controls for France alone. Between 2023 and 2026, further 541 million euros are promised.These resources finance the police presence at popular crossing sites such as Calais. Part of their strategy is to enforce the „no fixation“ policy. This means that displaced people living in Calais experience, at regular intervals, weekly and often even daily, the forceful eviction from living sites and seizure of belongings, including documents, medicine, clothing, and tents. Leaving them with often nothing more than the clothes they have on their body. To make sure police forces who conduct these operations do not tire or maybe even develop empathy for people, they are regularly replaced by different forces across the country. The places such as „BMX“ and „Unicorn“ are real living sites for people who do not have a current home. Often they have neighbors, created structures for daily routines, and tried to make the best of a bad situation. These shelters, made out of tents, tarps, and blankets, are as flimsy as they appear, short term fixtures in their lives and a place to return to.

A charity called „Human rights observer calais“ made it their purpose to record and report the violence done by the police through monthly overviews. In July alone, they reported at Calais 12 police operations for 49 evictions of 7 informal living sites. At least 720 persons were evicted from their informal living sites, at least 108 tents and tarps were seized, and at least 29 displaced persons were arrested during the evictions in one month. The evictions often take place in full riot gear, including helmets, shields, and batters, as I was able to observe two years ago as we were distributing clothing. They operate on a system of intimidation and violence, which include seperating families, using force to stop people from gathering their belongings, using abusive language, filming without notice, and employing, on occasion, tear gas.

Their motivation to stop crossing goes so far, that according to a witness who reports the incident to "Human rights observer Calais" police slashed a boat that carried 65 people, including 6 children, who were attempting to cross the channel and who were forced to return to the coast on July 13th, 2024.

Politicians on both sides of the channel like to focus on so called criminal gangs and people smugglers for the need to increase the police presence. But as we are able to observe, these policies do not make a difference, leading only to choosing more dangerous routes to avoid the police. Xavier Crombé, head of the French Mission of Médecins Sans Frontières said in his statement "“We are shocked and angry after this new tragedy in the English Channel,” Crombé said. “These deaths are not inevitable, but the tragic consequence of inhumane and absurd migration policies.” Calling out the policies that prioritized border control over human lives, making the journeys more "precarious and dangerous." Policies, that do not only increase the likelihood of further incidents, but are also willfully making the lives of people on the ground hell.