No Borders are a group who help desperate migrants and have rented a space in Calais that was being used to provide homeless migrants with a warm dry space to stay, food, drink, basic medical supplies, clothing and bedding etc. The French Police and UK Border / Immigration Police have smashed their way into the building via the windows and arrested almost everybody and continue to chase migrants through Calais. The migrants are fleeing political persecution, torture, rape, political imprisonment, starvation etc.
e-mail:
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
UKBA involved?
07.02.2010 21:54
interested
not sure but...
07.02.2010 23:54
What I am sure of is that is impossible to separate what is happening in Calais tonight and over the past six months of increased repression from the policies of the British state, the home secretary and UKBA. Firstly because the British border is there in France and second because it is a British "problem", in the sense that the migrants are only there because they want to come to the UK. I doubt that UKBA would be stupid enough to get their foot soldiers involved in these sort of operations but you can bet your bottom euro that the needs and political aims of the UK immigration policy and however the agreements between Sarkozy and Brown from their chats at the G8 about closer co-operation back in July will be having a strong influence on how the CRS and French border police are behaving. The stated French policy to make Calais a migrant free zone is a racist/fascist policy which will have sanction from a very high up level. Whether this has to do with EU migration policy, (ie more surveillance, more control, less human rights) the coming election (ie trying to out right each other in the anti immigrant stakes), the recession, (ie we don't need as much cheap, precarious labour right now) or a combination of all three it is clear that what we are seeing in Calais is leading towards a general acceptance of a new round of bash the immigrants- if we let them!
PS did you see the quote from Bob Ainsworth, (defence secretary) discussing plans for greater military co-operation between France and UK
"He pointed to Pas-de-Calais, which plans to market itself as “part of Britain” for the London Olympics in 2012.
“Borders don’t exist anymore,” he said. “They are irrelevant. Look at companies like EDF [the French-owned utility]: borders mean nothing to them.”
no one is illegal
"No Borders are a group who help desperate migrants"
08.02.2010 12:33
but no borders hasn't got the resource capacity or political desire to "help desperate migrants". if that was the intention what we do on the ground would be totally inadequate. The Kronstadt hangar should have been a place of solidarity, organisation, meeting - as well as a small improvement to living conditions for the transitory migrants in the area. Shame it was shut down - but this response also showed that we were doing the right thing.
noborderer
@ no one is illegal
08.02.2010 13:00
My reading of the article is that the quote is from Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, the French ambassador.
reeda
To noborderer Re : "Helping desperate migrants".
08.02.2010 21:22
anon
The Krondstat Hangar offered dry place to cook, wash & place to sleep overnight
08.02.2010 21:29
The police have raided and chase migrants relentlessly throught Calais.
anon no border supporter
Homepage:
http://www.noborders.org.uk
To "no borderer" [Emma?] - Re : Krondstat was "Another Sangatte"
08.02.2010 21:38
Anon
Sly comment form UKBA [noborderer]
08.02.2010 22:39
It looks like someone from the UKBA posing as "noborderer" has written a purposefully misdirected comment to mislead people about Krondstat.
It has to be said that no borders are a great campaign and have helped many. I don't think that they've ever pretended to be a charity either so I don't think that the no borderer comment is a genuine one but a UKBA agent's comment aimed against no borders.
Mrs Jesus Shayler [in solidarity]
To Emma Swayle / "noborderer" / UKBA agent.
08.02.2010 23:10
Lorraine
reply to paranoids
09.02.2010 14:44
All I was saying is that it's limiting to paint ourselves as some kind of apolitical aid organisation as the original post did "no borders are a group that held desperate migrants". if that's what we were about we could do much better joining one of the numerous associations already on the ground.
we are a political group fighting for freedom of movement for everyone, desperate or not. Amazing work is being done in Calais, including solidarity and support work - because you can't be political if you lack the resources for survival. But surely the camp in the summer has already shown that migrants don't just want our 'help' - they want to cross into Britain and many accept that this requires a political movement that can challenge border controls.
Kronstadt could have provided a base for exactly that, so this should feature in our 'messaging', not just the fact that we're handing our blankets etc.
And sorry, let's not fool ourselves that our help in Calais is 'adequate'. It certainly isn't - as hundreds are still sleeping rough, without washing facilities etc. The point is it can't be as long as it doesn't challenge the status quo.
Don't get so defensive - everyone knows that this is some of the most practical and antagonistic 'activism' doen for years. But see it for what it is and don't attack anyone with slight concerns about the wording of this campaign as an agent of the state!!!
noborderer
We sholu be concentrating on migrants not nitpicking over how things are worded.
09.02.2010 18:50
Reality is that migrants are unlikey to be homeless in Calais unless they are desperate however. Whatever anyone is doing, no borders or whoever, they deserve praise.
Any photos of the protest at the French Consulate today?
What a silly argument
Re : This thread
11.02.2010 04:36
Secondly I have no problem with anyone from no borders wishing to clarify their position on here.
I wish everyone from no borders all the best.
Mandy Ford
Mandy Ford