I volunteered in the Calais "Jungle" - ask me anything!

[NurseintheJungle]

NC for this one as it may be outing.

I am a RGN and I volunteered in the migrant camp also known as "The Jungle" multiple times for 2-4 weeks at a time until it was closed. I have also volunteered in Lesbos and Greece. Please feel free to ask me anything you like! However if you make racist comments prepare to be challenged!

[HopelesslydevotedtoGu]

Were there little businesses run by residents inside the camp eg you mentioned buying a tea, were there people selling food, laundry, clothes etc?

[Anothercalaisvolunteer]

Hi Nurse I'm another volunteer who still helps out in Calais. Nice to see another volunteer here.

[Carecomplet]

You're amazing and I really admire you for doing this
Were there any volunteers who had brought their own kids with them?

[NurseintheJungle]

I can see that you've volunteered in other camps - from what I've heard Lesbos and other camps are under-resourced compared to Calais. Would you say that was the case, and did that have an impact on the care individuals received, or the length of time they decided to stay in the camp?

There was definitely better electricity and less rubbish at Calais than Moira for example. I didn't work in a first aid capacity in Moira or Greece but I know it is harder to get help on health concerns. People don't choose how long to stay in camps - they only leave when they cross the border or their asylum claim has been accepted.

Would young unaccompanied children be taken out the camp and put in foster care?

You'd like to think so wouldn't you? But no 🙁 not unless they claimed asylum in France and even then they normally went to children's homes.

If an unaccompanied child claimed asylum in France as you recommended, would they definitely get it being a child? Or might they be refused?

There are no guarantees with any asylum claim, however the odds are very good.

Was there a process where children could apply to come to UK if they have relatives here, or were they relying on being able to get themselves across somehow?

There was in 2016/2017 with the introduction of the dugs amendment (there was a massive campaign to get this in place called #dubsnow). Before that the only way for them to claim asylum in the uk was the illegal entry to the uk.

Were there any tensions between different nationalities in the camp that you were aware of?

I think there were tensions but because the conditions were so poor for the most part everyone just learned to live together.

Did you get a feel for why they were unwilling to register in France?

Yes, France at the time was very hostile towards migrants, a large number in the camp either spoke English as a 2nd language or had friends/family in the uk.

Was there a perception that Britain was easy to claim refuge in? Or that benefits were bigger/easier to claim or did they have family in the UK?

There was a perception about the asylum process, which I always corrected them on. Benefits wasn't really a huge topic of conversation

I will confess that I have found seeing French speakers with little or no English determined to get to the UK perplexing. I understand the desire to flee conflict and or poverty, we all want a good life for ourselves and or children but once you are in a safe, wealthy nation what is the push to risk life to get somewhere?

Friends and family already in the uk is a huge driver. If my life had been at risk to the point I had put myself on a boat provided by people smugglers knowing that the journey is potentially lethal, I chose to do it anyway and made it to mainland Europe I would desperately want to spend the rest of my life with people I love and care about. Other nationalities are no different.

Were there little businesses run by residents inside the camp eg you mentioned buying a tea, were there people selling food, laundry, clothes etc?

Yes! My favourite place to eat was the Peace restaurant, I've attached a pic of it (it's a stock image not one of my own).

Hi Nurse I'm another volunteer who still helps out in Calais. Nice to see another volunteer here.

Hi! I'm currently trying to figure out the FAST rota and find a friend to go at the end of August!

You're amazing and I really admire you for doing this **
Were there any volunteers who had brought their own kids with them?

Thanks that's really kind of you!!!

Yes there were whole families there. Personally I don't think it's any environment for a child...

[Whatsnewwithyou]

Are volunteers without specific skills like nursing needed for short-term placements like 2-4 weeks? Are any skills needed that could be trained for part-time before going over? What is the best way to get involved and help?

[Clionba]

Why would they not apply for asylum in France? Even if they wanted to come to the UK, registering in France would mean they could travel legally? I don't understand why a liberal, democratic, secular and socialist country like France is treated as a transit camp for the UK?

[NurseintheJungle]

Are volunteers without specific skills like nursing needed for short-term placements like 2-4 weeks? Are any skills needed that could be trained for part-time before going over? What is the best way to get involved and help?

I'm not sure what opportunities there are now that the main camp has been closed down, let me do some investigating for you

[NurseintheJungle]

Why would they not apply for asylum in France? Even if they wanted to come to the UK, registering in France would mean they could travel legally? I don't understand why a liberal, democratic, secular and socialist country like France is treated as a transit camp for the UK?

It can take years for an asylum claim to be decided, then travel is limited for a further 5 years. So it's a case of 7+ years to legally travel to the uk or shorter if you jump the border. Bearing in mind that some in the camp were waiting for asylum claims to be processed, what would you choose?

[Lifeaback]

Thank you for this thread OP- really informative me as this is something I’m considering doing over Christmas.

You hear lots mentioned online when looking at the pages of different organisation pages about confict breaking out within camps. Did this happen often in your experience and how did the staff/volunteers resolve these situations?

[Clionba]

It's not about me and my choices.
It just seems strange that they're so desperate to leave France. I don't know why it's so much worse than the UK.

[NurseintheJungle]

You hear lots mentioned online when looking at the pages of different organisation pages about confict breaking out within camps. Did this happen often in your experience and how did the staff/volunteers resolve these situations?

The only time I experienced tension in the camp was when the riot police turned up witness multiple vans and shields and paraded through the camp with their batons exposed.

[NurseintheJungle]

It's not about me and my choices.
It just seems strange that they're so desperate to leave France. I don't know why it's so much worse than the UK

It seems strange that they are desperate to see friends/families or go to a country where they speak the language fluently? Why? That's exactly where I would be heading in their situation....

[Weedsnseeds1]

Is there any schooling or training given to the refugees to help them find work if they get their claims approved?

[Clionba]

If they're all English speaking and with UK relatives, surely those relatives should be helping more?
I know you don't like my questions but I can assure you that they are genuine and not from a place of prejudice and exclusion. This situation never used to exist and I don't know why it does now, it seems to me to be inhumane.
Anyway, good luck to you, I know you are trying to help unfortunates.

[SharpLily]

I'm interested in doing it myself now too!

One of the angry claims often made against the migrants in Calais etc. is that many are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees. Would you say that's true?

[Clionba]

More than leaving them in squalor.
Maybe they can't. Maybe they are doing everything to help.

[NurseintheJungle]

Is there any schooling or training given to the refugees to help them find work if they get their claims approved?

Yes teachers worked all day every day in the camp - the last time I travelled I paired up with an English teacher

[NurseintheJungle]

If they're all English speaking and with UK relatives, surely those relatives should be helping more?

I'm pretty sure I didn't say "all", try rephrasing your question.

[NurseintheJungle]

More than leaving them in squalor.
Maybe they can't. Maybe they are doing everything to help

What would your expectations be of the help they should provide?

[NurseintheJungle]

One of the angry claims often made against the migrants in Calais etc. is that many are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees. Would you say that's true?

I wouldn't call migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea etc economic migrants, I would class them as refugees.

[Clionba]

Don't be like that, nurse these are genuine questions, I hesitated to ask them because I thought I'd get flamed. Thank you for answering them anyway and good luck to you.

[SameAndSameAgain]

If they are true refugees then why do you think they weren’t happy to make France, a safe and developed country, their home?

[SharpLily]

The reason I actually askedabout economic migrants/genuine refugees is that more than once, in discussion about this very subject, I have pointed out that a mother with young children doesn't put herself or them in the very dangerous and unpleasant transit and living conditions these refugees are experiencing unless she is desperate. More than once I have been told in response that pictures of camps, boats arriving etc. show an overwhelming majority of young men unaccompanied by families, all with mobile phones blah blah, and to be honest I really haven't known what to say in response.