Calais Camps Remain Despite Decade of Efforts
Source reports published 24 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 26 Oct 2026, 12:17 am AEST
Ten years after the demolition of the ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais, approximately 4,000 asylum seekers remain in smaller camps across northern France, facing harsh living conditions and frequent evictions by authorities.
What happened
- In Calais, makeshift camps persist a decade after the dismantling of the ‘Jungle’ camp.
- Individuals, including Sudanese student Adam, continue to live in tents, frequently evicted by police due to a ‘zero point de fixation’ policy implemented by French authorities.
- Police actions, documented by Human Rights Observers, have seen a 40% increase in reported violence towards asylum seekers between April and August 2026 compared to the previous year, including the seizure of firewood.
- Attempts to cross the Channel, often involving seven crossing attempts per individual, are frequently disrupted by police.
- Far-right agitators from the UK and other countries have been observed harassing and intimidating asylum seekers.
- Despite efforts to curb small boat crossings, over 200,000 asylum seekers have reached the UK since 2016, and approximately 21,000 have attempted the crossing this year.