AFRICA HOUSE EVICTED

The Africa House squat in Calais, home to hundreds of migrants and No Borders activists over the last year, was finally completely evicted on Monday (27th).

The industrial complex was raided by PAF border police accompanied by city workers and plain clothes police at 6am. Most of the migrants without documents had already fled and only around 30 people remained. The PAF manhandled activists off the site before forcing those that remained out the back, out of sight of the journalists waiting at the front. An empty factory nearby was squatted by many of the migrants, only to be evicted the same evening by private security heavies.

The migrants were left to camp out in makeshift shelters in the jungle, in the parks, under bridges or in other abandoned buildings. On Wednesday (29th) migrants staying in the old university buildings at the back of Africa House were also raided and evicted, despite a visit the night before where police told the migrants they would be evicted in 10 days time.

With the authorities stepping up their campaign of harassment and migrants more vulnerable than ever, now is the time for a booze cruise/solidarity work.

See www.calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com

* Calais Migrant Solidarity activists have released a dossier of police violence and repression collected over the last  few years. Last week they presented the evidence to France’s new ombudsman for Human Rights and human rights organisations.