by PETER BLODAU & ELLE KURANCID
French riot police (left) watch a bulldozer and team of orange-clad workers (centre) dismantle the makeshift home of evicted refugees
“I’m from Syria. I’m a refugee, escaped from the war,” Majd, 21, told Democracy Now! last December while he stood near France’s “Jungle” camp, protesting with his fellow residents (1). “They call [the camp] a jungle. Yes, it’s where the animals live. They treat us like animals.”
“They” are the French and British governments, who, as the Intercept reported, “have poured millions of dollars into extra riot police, tear gas canisters, dogs, fences, infrared cameras, floodlights, and batons [to deter camp residents], while neglecting to supply adequate meals, sanitation, running water, housing, medical support or clothing.”
The informal settlement “Europe’s largest slum” or “a slum city on Britain’s doorstep” is home to some 5,000 men, women and children from Afghanistan, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Libya, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and other nations. After escaping the weapons (often western-made) of abusive states and groups, in addition to extreme inequality and climate change, they’ve sought precarious refuge in the camp, which has been active in various formations and sizes near Calais since 2002.
Le Monde Diplomatique for more