Children in Calais still sleeping rough as fires burn in the Jungle

October 27, 2016…Dozens of children were forced to sleep outside last night after being denied a safe place in Calais. The situation for children in Calais after the demolition is the worst it’s ever been, Save the Children is warning. Vulnerable children slept under bridges, outside warehouses and in the Jungle camp itself, which has become an increasingly volatile environment.

With fires blazing through the Jungle, the registration closed and temporary accommodation full, children had nowhere to go. Staff on the ground have raised concerns that many children have already run away, on their own, having given up hope that this process will provide them with safety.

Dorothy Sang, a Save the Children aid worker in the camp, said, “Last night, we spent hours trying to negotiate a place for three young Eritrean boys – two were 13 years old and the other was 14 years old.  Despite their pleading and most of the jungle being burnt to the ground, these boys were refused.  They had to spend another night in the Jungle, which is now the most dangerous it has ever been for children.

“It’s disappointing to see this being reported as a ‘success’ when so many vulnerable children have been left behind and so many more have run away.  We may never know where they’ve gone.”

Now that the process is starting to determine where the children who have been registered should go, the charity says it’s imperative that this is done in a fair and transparent way.

Patricia Erb, Save the Children Canada’s President and CEO, said, “We are pleased that vulnerable children are finally arriving in the UK under the Dubs amendment. However, it is disappointing that this is being carried out alongside the imminent demolition of the Jungle, which is creating fear and chaos in the camp.

“Now that hundreds of these children are registered and in safe accommodation, they must be given the reassurance that they will have their voices heard and a fair assessment to determine whether they arrive in the UK or stay in France.”

Save the Children has been working with partner agencies in Calais to set up information points in the camp along the path from the camp to the registration warehouse.  There is still a lack of information and communication from the authorities, which has made it unclear what will happen to these children. Save the Children and its partners will continue outreach work today to get the remaining children into safe accommodation.