New refugee camp opens in France
The first international standard refugee camp has opened in northern France despite opposition from the government and local residents, whilst demolition at the nearby Calais “Jungle” camp continues.
deVere France understands the first to arrive at the new camp, situated in Grande-Synthe near Dunkirk on the northern French coast, were three families of Iraqi Kurds.
The families have moved from another site nearby where approximately 1,000 people have been living in awful conditions with inadequate shelter from the cold.
The new site offers around 200 heated wooden cabins as well as proper toilets and shower facilities. The camp has been built by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) together with the support of the local town hall, regardless of hostility from the French government.
The refugee accommodation which cost a huge €3.1m is believed to be the first in France to meet international standards, with the MSF saying they soon hope to have 375 cabins which will cater for 2,500 people.
Local mayor, Damien Careme, who fought a battle with the authorities said, “It’s a great day for human solidarity”.
“I’ve overcome a failure of the state,” he said, commenting that he couldn’t bare the sight of nearly 75 children living in the original camp.
The new site has angered the French government who have been attempting to move refugees away from the northern coast and into centres where their movement can be easily monitored.
Jean-Francois Cordet, the government’s representative in northern France, said last month; “The government’s policy is not to reconstitute a camp at Grande-Synthe, but to make it go away”.
For the second week, authorities continued to disassemble the area’s biggest refugee camp, dubbed the “Jungle”, in nearby Calais.
Thousands of refugees have been living in the Jungle and other smaller camps on the northern coast, frantically trying to reach Britain where many refugees have family or community ties and perceive better prospects of finding employment or education.
Many have refused offers from the French government to move into heated containers alongside the Jungle, or into accommodation centres elsewhere in France as they’re afraid doing so will end their hopes of reaching Britain.
The first international standard refugee camp has opened in northern France despite opposition from the government and local residents, whilst demolition at the nearby Calais “Jungle” camp continues.
deVere France understands the first to arrive at the new camp, situated in Grande-Synthe near Dunkirk on the northern French coast, were three families of Iraqi Kurds.
The families have moved from another site nearby where approximately 1,000 people have been living in awful conditions with inadequate shelter from the cold.
The new site offers around 200 heated wooden cabins as well as proper toilets and shower facilities. The camp has been built by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) together with the support of the local town hall, regardless of hostility from the French government.
The refugee accommodation which cost a huge €3.1m is believed to be the first in France to meet international standards, with the MSF saying they soon hope to have 375 cabins which will cater for 2,500 people.
Local mayor, Damien Careme, who fought a battle with the authorities said, “It’s a great day for human solidarity”.
“I’ve overcome a failure of the state,” he said, commenting that he couldn’t bare the sight of nearly 75 children living in the original camp.
The new site has angered the French government who have been attempting to move refugees away from the northern coast and into centres where their movement can be easily monitored.
Jean-Francois Cordet, the government’s representative in northern France, said last month; “The government’s policy is not to reconstitute a camp at Grande-Synthe, but to make it go away”.
For the second week, authorities continued to disassemble the area’s biggest refugee camp, dubbed the “Jungle”, in nearby Calais.
Thousands of refugees have been living in the Jungle and other smaller camps on the northern coast, frantically trying to reach Britain where many refugees have family or community ties and perceive better prospects of finding employment or education.
Many have refused offers from the French government to move into heated containers alongside the Jungle, or into accommodation centres elsewhere in France as they’re afraid doing so will end their hopes of reaching Britain.