Emergency situation in Calais!        

All squats and camps are being evicted in the next few days! On May 27th, the three main camps of Calais were evicted by the police, who then destroyed the camps. More than 600 people lived in these camps, which were won through constant migrant struggle after a long series of evictions. No solution has been proposed for the evicted migrants. Authorities say the reason for the evictions is that there is a scabies outbreak in the camps but obviously evictions will do nothing to cure scabies. These people have nowhere else to go. Since the Red Cross camp at Sangatte closed in 2002, migrants must make their own camps. Many migrants took desperate risks trying to get to England before the evictions, including one man who died under a coach.

Also, a social centre and two further squats are up for eviction starting on May 30th. All told, more than 800 people will be put on to the street. In this stopping point on the way to England, squatting is the only housing solution that exists. The mayor of Calais’s fight against squatting has reached a new low. This time she has proposed a law which would change the 48 hour period in which squats must be evicted (which is not officially set down in French law). We know very little about the content of this law, only that it will attack the right to housing for all. The entire future of squatting in France is endangered by this law. 

All this comes shortly after the far right Front National got 25% of the vote in France for the European elections.

Migrant solidarity activists are calling on others to come to Calais to help resist evictions, open new squats and generally make themselves useful. Those going should take everything they need to get by as there may not be anywhere to stay.