On the intitative of two Pakistani men a demonstation was held on the 4th of January at the sub prefecture in Calais

In Calais, the demonstrations of support for ‘clandestines’ are generally organised by associations with humanitarian motives. This afternoon for the first time since 2002 in the era of Sangatte a demonstration is taking place which is the initiative of two undocumented Pakistani men.
Only migrants in an irregular situation will march between the Quai de Moselle where everyday there is a distribution of meals and the sub prefecture.
“We want to meet the representatives of the French authorities” explains Akash Mirza who arrived in Calais on the 22nd of October according to the piece of paper given to him by the Police. We live in the street we eat outside, we cannot even wash ourselves. Your dogs have better lives than us .” We cannot accept this anymore. We have come to democratic countries and we don’t want to be content with the charity of associations.”


Their utopian demands.

Brandishing a tract written with an activist close to the protest movement Akash and Lakiy 22 and 23 years old demand papers to live in France or to go to England . “We don’t definitely want to go to England if we are given papers and can work here in France.”
Seasoned activists in their own countries they say they have fled Kashmir fearing reprisals because “we are against the authoritarian regime and the fundamentalists.” Today blocked in Calais they want to alert public opinion about the lives of clandestines, whatever their nationality . We bring together the refugees, Pakistanis like Iraqis, Afghans, Somalis, Sudanese and the others, we are 200 maybe 400. Our demonstration will be peaceful but we want you to see us.

“I will not give up”


The sub prefect Patrick Espanol has on his side taken measures. A number of CRS are expected to be surrounding the sub prefecture “ we hope that everything goes ok but I affirm that will not be put under pressure”, confirmed the sub prefect who did not rule out the use of force.

source CONTACT:  interluttescalais@hotmail.com


Demonstration for Passports in Calais

translated from the French Newspaper Liberation,
Nearly 80 sans-papiers demonstrated yesterday , against Police harassment
par Haydée Sabéran

Calais special report

Its a little demonstration where you see black hair , of woolly hats and anoraks, of smiles and sparkling eyes . One banner in English ‘Open the frontiers or give us our papers ‘. They aren’t more than eighty essentially Pakistanis Iranians and Afghans of the 300 present . They marched between quai Moselle where food is going to be distributed and the sub prefecture . “Passport, Passport !” Bachir a 19 year old Afghanand laughs out loud “Guys guys, you say “passport” but have you at least prepared your photograph”?
Hot supper ,Saman 16 years old marching with them .” I live here in the road with no money for two months . The Police arrest us take our fingerprints and then release us on the road a few hours walking away. When we come back which takes a day ,we have no money to pay for the train , the inspectors make us get off . The last time I slept in a park with a friend . We knocked on a door because we were hungry. The people gave us biscuits and water. Amir 22 years old and Iranian confessed that once he demanded to be arrested to get a hot supper and a place in a reception centre.

In front of the prefecture, Akash a 22 year old Pakistani, bellows into the microphone borrowed from a militant of the CGT. He asks if the demonstration serves any purpose . From the interior of the building the answer comes; a refusal to meet with the migrants . The little group disperses in silence , in the direction of the quai Moselle where those that were not at the demonstration through fatigue or fear of the Police have stayed around a fire . Médecins Sans Frontières take care of them in a van . They don’t take more than one shower a month ,only provided thanks to the Secours Catholique , but they are freshly shaved with water from a garden hose at the port . Amir opens his anorak; his whole bathroom is there given by the CSUR Comité de soutien de refugies toothpaste toothbrush and a disposable razor as well as that they have bought him some cheap perfume , ‘green tea’. “Eau de Cologne I put it on me when I get on the train so people do not smell my smell of smoke “ says Amir.
“People smugglers » . Bachir plays the clown . “Its been four months since I ate a proper meal. If they offered me one I would faint” Mohesen 18 years old and Iraqi tells of the last expulsion with detachment . “the Police arrived “ Knock Knock …They knocked on the door of the hangar . “Wake up, my darling, do you have your papers ? No ? Come on we’ll make you some new papers .”,”
The others laughing. Then they talk about the tear gas; the bones of hands and fingers broken . A skull fractured, “We had a maximum of 500 refugees in the summer. That coincided with the riots in suburbs . The CRS Police were occupied elsewhere,” reflects Michael Dauvergne volunteer at CSUR.
Its not just the CRS , it’s the people smugglers. They take $1000 to slip you under the lorries . If you don’t have the money, they get a knife out , you’d best not be there” says Amir . He shows us a place where some are sleeping in metal tubes . Bachir laughs as he show us his worn out trousers .” When he sees us coming Tony Blair he’ll say “ Wait... they aren’t human beings “ . Back to the quai Moselle . A Calaisian woman is giving out cake to the migrants she meets .”The people here are good “says Amir, the Police are the ones who don’t care” Mohesen corrects him “not all of them . The last time they dropped me at the German border. A policeman unfolded a map of France and showed me the way back to Calais”