Africa House, the home of around 100 African refugees in Calais, is threatened with eviction and demolition. We are organising to resist the eviction - and turn the spotlight on the repression in Calais. Already, the residents of Africa House are subject to constant raids, beatings, gassings, harassment and arbitrary detention. Now the government is planning to take away their last shelter. A campaign has being organised by residents of Africa House and other Calais Migrant Solidarity activists working together in solidarity.

For updates:

 http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/

Come to Calais if you can, and PLEASE do not forget to contact us and let us when you are coming and for how long.
 http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/category/contact-us/

Friday 4th June , 11h30am: The African squat was raided, nearly everybody arrested. All blankets and personal belongings confiscated.
Local associations mobilized quickly to replace the stolen blankets etc., and also to organize the legal defence of the occupiers of the squats. No Borders are preparing to resist the eviciton.

2nd June: more than 20 CRS vans containing over 50 police arrived at Africa House.
Two civilian police translators told a British activist that the CRS intend to evict the squat next Wednesday.Two more CRS marked out information on clipboards displaying floorplans of the building which is due to be demolished later this month; throughout the day workmen have been fixing the perimeter fence, sealing off the migrants’ possible escape routes.
Eviction is imminent.
If the eviction is allowed to happen many of the migrants could be deported without fair trial
With police brutality against migrants being commonplace in Calais it is vital that people are here to act as witnesses for police activity and support the migrants as best we can.

The owner of the African House is now the EPF (Établissement Public Foncier, it's an regional institution in charge of operations on buildings and land for public collectivities (communes, counties, regions, etc...).

Africa House is a squatted ex-factory in Calais, France. Up to 100 African people live there while they try to get across the channel to a better life in the UK. They come from all over Africa, but especially from the war torn countries of Sudan (mostly from Darfur), Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Many have had their families killed, their homes destroyed, or suffered tortures.

They come to Europe hoping for sanctuary and the chance of a new life — but instead, in Calais, they are met with extreme brutality and repression by the police and other authorties, acting on the orders of both the UK and French Governments.

Africa House is raided almost every day by the vicious CRS riot police. The police regularly beat and arrest people, destroy bedding and possessions, use tear gas and pepper spray, and spray chemicals in peoples’ sleeping areas. Others are held without charge or trial in the nearby detention centre in Coquelles and threatened with deportation.

Now the police and the mayor of Calais are planning to take away even the little our friends have. The mayor is planning to evict the squat and demolish the building within the next month. This would leave the Africans to sleep on the streets and under bridges, threatened by police attacks at all hours of the day and night.

The residents of Africa House are calling for support and solidarity from people in France and UK.

Join Calais Migrant Solidarity in standing strong with refugees stuck in Calais, and resisting the eviction of their last remaining shelters!