A court order giving authorisation to evict and demolish the latest 'Africa House' was found outside the site this week. This is the 5th big squat eviction in 7 months, alongside the many evictions and destruction of camps in the jungle, in town, in the parks or under bridges as well as several evictions of the food distribution area – a concrete yard surrounded by barbed wire.

At the end of last year many people, both with and without papers, began moving back in to the half demolished university buildings behind old Africa House having been kicked out of squat after squat since summer last year. At the moment there is about 60 to 80 people mainly from northern Africa and the Middle East staying in these shelters.

The court notice grants permission for the police to evict from 30th January. So soon they will kick everyone out onto the street again. Now it is the middle of winter and Calais is covered in snow. It could be tomorrow or it could be in the coming weeks but the posting of the court order on the site is a clear threat that it will happen any day now and this time they will try to do it 'legally' (most evictions have been 'illegal' - obviously whether it is legal or not people still end up back on the street).

The demolition company, Societe de Demolition er d'Amenagement Exterieur (SDAE Demolition), have been surveying the place for many months. Two people from the company looked around the buildings again yesterday. The police are also still raiding the buildings regularly, harassing and arresting people. Yesterday morning one minor was arrested for not having papers. (see Calais Migrant Solidarity blog for regular updates:  http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com).

Ironically the buildings are owned by a social housing organisation, OPH (Office Public de l'Habitat) who claim on their website 'far from being a mere lessor... its mission is to always contribute to a better life for those it houses'. Clearly this is a farce; they are evicting many people who are homeless from buildings that have been derelict for many years.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

- call the OPH, ask to speak to somebody from the directory board, tell them what you think about the situation. OPH phone number : 0033 3 21 46 04 80. Or fax: 0033 3 21 97 38 87.

- write an e-mail to the OPH:  webmaster@ophlm-calais.fr

- write a letter to OPH, 16 quai de la Gendarmerie, 62100 Calais, France

Note: OPH president is Mr Gérard CLAIS, the director Mr Hans RYCKEBOER. See website  http://www.oph-calais.fr/

WHAT YOU CAN SAY:

- do not evict people who have no-where to live on to the street, especially when it is winter and freezing outside

- to demolish shelters where many people without homes live is inhumane

- do not give authorisation to the police, or instructions to bailiffs, to enter the site at ANY time

- you are a social housing organisation you should be providing accommodation for all the occupants, no matter what their 'administrative situation'. People are people whether they have papers or not.