Skip to content or view screen version

65 Syrians protesting at the port of Calais

1 of no borders | 03.10.2013 09:45 | Anti-racism | Globalisation | Migration

65 Syrian exiles have blocked the foot passengers entrance at the Calais port and some of them have gone on hungerstrike. They are asking to meet a Home Office representative as they want to be allowed to seek safety in UK. They are also complaining at their inhuman treatement at the hads of the French authorities and police.



Here you have in English and French the call addressed by the Syrians in
Calais to the British and French authorities.

We are syrian people here in Calais

We have been here now between one and two months. The french government
and police have been very bad with us and do not care about us. They
have kicked us out of our house into the street. Anytime we find a place
to stay the police comes and arrest us, destroy our belongings, close
the place.

There is nowhere safe for us to shelter in Calais, we are here just for
one thing and that is to have asylum in England. Many of us have family
and friends in England who we would like to see and be able to live
with. There is also a strong syrian community there, more than in
France.

We are now demonstrating in the port of Calais, we will not leave until
they let us go to England. We demand one person from the UK home office
comes here to speak with us, and to see our situation. We have the right
to claim asylum in england, but how do we get there ? There is not a
legal way to cross.

We are about 65 people from syria at the port at the moment, with our
families, old women, mothers, children the youngest being three years
old, friends, and they are over 50 police officers.

We have the right to live a peaceful life and we have unfortunately war
in Syria. We need help quickly. We are looking for safety and shelter in
Europe but we have not found it yet and we hope to find it in uk.

Nous sommes les syriens ici à Calais

Nous sommes ici depuis maintenant un ou deux mois. Le gouvernement
français et la police nous ont très mal traité et n'ont montré aucun
intérêt pour notre situation. Ils nous ont systématiquement expulsé de
nos maisons pour nous mettre à la rue. A chaque fois que nous trouvons
un endroit où rester, la police viens et nous arrête, détruisant nos
effets personnels et fermant le lieu.

Il n'y a pas d'endroit sécurisé où nous pouvons trouver refuge à Calais,
nous sommes juste ici pour une chose et c'est demander l'asile en
Angleterre. Beaucoup d'entre nous ont de la famille et des amis là-bas
que nous aimerions voir et avec qui nous désirerions vivre. Il y a aussi
une forte communauté syrienne en Angleterre, plus forte qu'en France.

Nous sommes maintenant en train de manifester dans le port de Calais, et
nous ne partirons pas avant qu'ils nous laissent passer en Angleterre.
Nous exigeons qu'une personne de l' « UK home office » vienne nous
parler et étudie notre situation. Nous avons le droit de demander
l'asile en Angleterre, mais comment arriver là-bas ? Il n'y a pas de
moyen légal de traverser.

Nous sommes environ 65 syriens au port en ce moment, avec nos familles,
des femmes âgées, des mères, des enfants, le plus jeune ayant trois ans,
des amis, et plus de 50 agents de police.

Nous avons le droit de mener une vie paisible et nous avons
malheureusement une guerre en Syrie. Nous avons besoin d'aide
rapidement. Nous recherchons la sécurité et un refuge en Europe, mais
nous ne l'avons pas encore trouvé et nous espérons le rencontrer en
Angleterre.

also see:

 http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2013/10/02/97001-20131002FILWWW00468-port-de-calais-sit-in-de-migrants-syriens.php

 http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/region/une-cinquantaine-de-syriens-bloquent-l-acces-au-terminal-ia33b48581n1587999

1 of no borders

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Press release

03.10.2013 10:13

Calais: Syrian refugees stage blockade of ferry terminal

PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release
3rd October 2013

Sixty-five Syrian refugees have been maintaining a blockade of the
entrance of the port of Calais since yesterday afternoon, in protest
against the inhumane treatment that they are receiving in France. Some are
on hunger strike. They are demanding that a representive of the UK Home
Office comes to Calais to speak with them and grant them refuge in the UK.

The blockade is now in its 10th hour. Up to fifty police are present.
Blankets are being delivered by local groups in support of the
demonstration. The migrants are refusing to leave until their demands are
met.

In a statement released earlier today the Syrian demonstrators stated:

'We have been here now between one and two months. The French government
and police have been very bad with us and do not care about us. They have
kicked us out of our house into the street. Anytime we find a place to
stay the police comes and arrest us, destroy our belongings, close the
place.

There is nowhere safe for us to shelter in Calais, we are here just for
one thing and that is to have asylum in England. Many of us have family
and friends in England who we would like to see and be able to live with.
There is also a strong Syrian community there, more than in France.

We are now demonstrating in the port of Calais, we will not leave until
they let us go to England. We demand one person from the UK home office
comes here to speak with us, and to see our situation. We have the right
to claim asylum in england, but how do we get there? There is not a legal
way to cross.

We are about 65 people from Syria at the port at the moment, with our
families, old women, mothers, children the youngest being three years old
and friends.

We have the right to live a peaceful life and we have unfortunately war in
Syria. We need help quickly. We are looking for safety and shelter in
Europe but we have not found it yet and we hope to find it in uk.'


For more information please contact
 calaisolidarity@gmail.com
0033 605 574 826
0033 683 199 894

Notes for journalists:

For background information on repression of migrants in Calais see 'This
Border Kills'
 http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/this-border-kills-our-dossier-of-violence-2/

For updates and news from Calais see the Calais Migrant Solidarity Website
 http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/this-border-kills-our-dossier-of-violence-2/

CMS


Claim asylum in France if you really are asylum seekers

06.10.2013 20:35

... or have your bogus applications already been rejected there? End "asylum" tourism now!

Muppetwatch