Terre D’errances
Press Release, 25 February 2009

Arrests Norrent-Fontes

Fourteen people were arrested by police Wednesday morning in
Norrent-Fonts:

Thirteen Eritrean migrants, arrested at the camp, and a voluntary
association of Terre D’errances:

Monique Pouille was arrested at her home, her house was searched. She
was taken away and locked up with migrants at the center of
administrative detention Coquelle. She is a 59 year old mother. For
several years, she has assisted migrants. This is what earned her her
arrest.

On the same day and for the same reasons, Pierre,in Boulogne-sur-mer,
was also arrested. For Jean-Pierre Lenoir, it was for ‘outrage’ due to
his work with migrants in Calais. The hearing was postponed.

In the late afternoon, dozens of people from Steenvoorde, Calais,
Boulogne, Dunkirk and Norrent-Fontes gathered around the center to
express their dismay, their anger and support for those locked up.

Monique was held for eight hours and released in late afternoon. At
the time of writing migrants are still locked in Coquelles.

Members of Terres D’errances do not understand what is Monique supposed
to have done, what are the migrants alleged to have done, what is the
state doing in this story, what will become the men and women who have
fled their country and have become the arbitrary prisoners of our
borders.

The government still seems unable to recognize the reality of the drama
of these refugees, that of their inability to go and be anywhere,
living in the cold, and under constant police threat.

We are not ashamed to assist migrants who pass through Norrent-Fontes.
We are happy to meet them. We are responding to the shortcomings of the
state.

Why do we act like that ?

The briefing scheduled for Saturday February 28 to 17 h at 30-Fontes in
is Norrent maintained. Go to the church hall. We will answer your
questions, and proposals to support your ideas .

 http://terreerrance.wordpress.com

NB. Article L 622-1 of the Code of Entry and Residence of Foreigners in France: "Any person who, by direct or indirect means attempts to ease or facilitate entry, movement or residence of a foreigner in France will be punished by imprisonment for five years and a fine of 30 000 €. Article L 622-5 increases the penalties to 10 years imprisonment and 750 000 € in case of 'organised' action. It appears that Monique was arrested under this law.

In recent months a number of volunteer workers have been arrested. In November Jean-Claude Lenoir of Salam, on of the organisations that regularly feed migrants in Calais, was arrested for allegedly insulting the police as he acted as an observer during one of the routine CRS raids on 'the Jungle', where police dogs and a helicopter were deployed. Another Salam volunteer was also arrested recently while she transported injured refugees to the local hospital.

Monique Pouille can be seen in a short film (in English) on France 24 about volunteers working with migrants in the Calais area (unfortunately, there is an annoyingly regular use of the term 'illegal' immigrant on the commentary)