65 Syrian refugees have been staging a blockade of the Calais ferry terminal for over 24 hours now, demanding to speak to a representative of the UK Home Office. Some are on hunger strike.

After fleeing shelling and persecution in Syria, the refugees endured further brutality in Europe. In the small French port town they have been subject to evictions from emergency shelters, destruction of possessions
and repeated arrest.

The blockaders have therefore resorted to direct action to have their voices heard. They are refusing to leave until their demands are met. In a town where the police act with considerable impunity on a daily basis,
it is important that the blockaders receive solidarity from beyond Calais in publicising their demands.

The group of refugees say:

‘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.’


In solidarity with the protestors here's what YOU can do:

1. Tweet to the following accounts, asking them to respond to the
blockaders' demands:

UK HOME OFFICE: @ukhomeoffice
UNHCHR UK: @UNHCRUK

2. Tweet the following account, asking the foreign office to back up its
rhetoric on Syria with support for Syrian refugees at home:

UK FOREIGN OFFICE: @foreignoffice

3. Edit and send this sample fax/letter to Theresa May:

Dear Theresa May,

As of yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 2nd October, 65 Syrian refugees,
including men, women, elderly people, children as young as 3 years old,
have been blockading the entrance of the port of Calais.

After fleeing shelling and persecution in Syria, the refugees have endured
further brutality in Europe. In the small French port town they have been
subject to evictions from emergency shelters, destruction of possessions
and repeated arrest.

The Syrian refugees said yesterday ‘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
you 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.’

David Cameron has pledged to 'lead the world' on aid for Syrian
refugees. The situation of the Syrians protesting in the port of Calais
offers a perfect opportunity to support Syrian refugees at our borders,
turning this rhetoric into action. Failure to do so will open the British
government, UNHCR & other EU government to accusations of hypocrisy.

I therefore urge you as Home Secretary to intervene in this matter and
ensure the demands of the Syrian refugees are heard. I urge you to send a
representative of the Home Office to the port and grant the Syrian
protesters refuge in the UK.

Signed:


Contact details:


The postal address is:
Rt. Hon. Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF


The email addresses to use are:
 mayt@parliament.uk
 UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
 CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
 Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
 pscorrespondence@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk

The fax number is: 0207 0354745 (when faxing from outside the UK, use 00
44 2070354745).


4. Share the story, use your networks – social media, mainstream media,
groups.



******

In recent weeks the UNHCR and EU governments’ have made promises to help
Syrian refugees, agreeing on quotas for asylum. Here is some of their
rhetoric:

See
 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/world/europe/special-quotas-for-syrian-refugees.html?_r=0
 http://www.unhcr.org.uk/news-and-views/news-list/news-detail/article/geneva-crisis-meet-agrees-to-boost-international-support-for-countries-hosting-syrian-refugees.html



*******

For more information about the situation in Calais please contact
 calaisolidarity@gmail.com
0033 605 574 826
0033 683 199 894

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/