The living conditions of refugees and migrants sleeping rough in Calais have been described as “dire”
Since the makeshift migrant camp in Calais was closed by the authorities in October 2016, there have been reports that between 600 and 700 people are sleeping rough along the French coast in what has been described by the United Nations special rapporteur for housing as “harsh conditions” without proper access to sanitation.
French police have been systematically evicting persons camping on privately owned grounds and in public places, including on the sides of roads and under bridges, from tents and other temporary structures in violation, according to the United Nations’ representative, of their right to adequate housing under international human rights law, and of the right to health, food and physical integrity.
Evictions are reportedly taking place every 48 hours and according to local human rights organisations there were more than 200 evictions of tent encampments between January and March of this year. Tents, sleeping bags and personal items are often destroyed or confiscated in a move that is designed to deter further migrants from coming to the area.
Migrants gather in Calais as a temporary point en route to the UK and after the main camp was destroyed in 2016, the governments of France the UK jointly funded the erection of security walls and the former instigated new security policies in order to create what rights groups have called an “inhospitable environment”.
