In Calais, migrants boycott meals distributed by the state

IN IMAGES – Few people have shown up since Tuesday to collect the meals offered by the staff of the La Vie active association. It was decided that the police presence would be more discreet.

“The fences, the police: it's prison, we are not criminals. When the associations gave us to eat, there were no police officers”, plague at his side Mohammed, a young Ethiopian, who also points to the presence of journalists and cameramen. For the prefecture, these fences, rue des Huttes, were installed “on the initiative” of the owner of this private land to “secure and avoid any intrusions on the site”.

“Hunted by night, helped by day”

Since the payment of meals by the State in Calais, where between 350 and 600 migrants live according to sources, the Auberge des migrants and RCK (Refugee community kitchen) have stopped their food distributions. Salam would continue for his part to distribute breakfasts. So, "we manage among ourselves, we exchange the food we buy with our little money", explains Abebe, 32, who assures us that associations have distributed kitchen utensils to them.

" READ ALSO - Calais: associations welcome the State's payment of meals to migrants

Jackson, a 15-year-old South African, has only eaten the "pieces of bread" still distributed by the "associations" for three days. "I don't want to approach the police, why do they need to watch us even when we eat?"

For Gaël Manzi, ofUtopia 56, migrants are afraid of "everything that is state": "They are hunted down at night and helped during the day by the same actors, it's complicated to establish a climate of trust." "Is it worthy of not allowing these people to eat peacefully without being supervised by the police?" Nine associations active in Calais wrote in a press release on Wednesday, including L'Auberge des Migrants and Salam. All “welcome”, however, the establishment of this device by the State.

“We hope it will work, for once the state assumes its responsibilities. But if the meals continue to be boycotted, we are not going to deprive people of food and we will organize ourselves to meet the needs, ”says Gaël Manzi.

Removal of barbed wire

Two meals are distributed daily by La Vie active: a breakfast in the morning and a hot meal in the afternoon served with the help of two trucks that are moved around. At 15 p.m., the migrants are a little more numerous. "It's delicious!" Says an Afghan. At his side, a handful of them are eating on the floor.

“There is a necessary phase of habituation after several years of associative distributions”, underlines the prefecture, regretting that associations continue “anarchic distributions”.

The director of La Vie active, Stéphane Duval, ensures that he is not surprised by the lack of candidates: "every time something new is put in place, which is moreover emanating from the State, there is always a period of distrust and adaptation, it takes time. Before admitting: "We are groping our way, we are seeing how we can improve the system, make it as efficient as possible."

Already, after a meeting in the sub-prefecture of Calais on Friday between the prefecture, La Vie active, and the associations, it was decided to remove the barbed wire and a more discreet police presence.