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Gallery|Human Rights

Inside the Calais Jungle

For more than 15 years, Calais was one of the transit points for thousands trying to enter the United Kingdom.

The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Afghan refugees playing volleyball at the makeshift camp in Calais. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
By Fabio Bucciarelli
Published On 1 Mar 20161 Mar 2016
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Calais, France – In the heart of Europe, near the French city of Calais, thousands of refugees live in a self-managed, makeshift camp built on a former toxic waste dump.

Close to the sea and a few kilometres from the port of the city, the camp, also known as the Jungle, houses more than 3,700 refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Sudan and Eritrea.

For more than 15 years now, Calais has become one of the points of arrival for thousands of refugees and migrants trying to enter the United Kingdom.

Since last year, due to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, the Jungle has grown significantly.

In recent days the plight of its residents worsened after a French court gave the green light to dismantle a substantial part of the camp over the next three weeks.

About 1,500 people will be reallocated to the container town which authorities built adjacent to the camp and to other cities across the country.

Although living conditions have been described as an affront to human dignity by the humanitarian organisations working there, the muddy camp now features internal streets, makeshift bars and restaurants and barber shops.

Afkaar, like many other Afghan boys got Italian asylum but could not find work. Now he lives in the Jungle.

“Italy is beautiful, but there is no work. I was free but I had no money for a rental house. What could I do? I decided to come here.”


READ MORE: France clears part of Calais ‘Jungle’

The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
The camp, also known as the Jungle, houses more than 3,700 refugees. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
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The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Refugees in the camp are mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Sudan and Eritrea. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
The Eurotunnel fence runs next to the makeshift camp known as the 'Jungle' in Calais, France, where refugees and migrants take shelter before trying their way to the UK. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
French police patrolled the makeshift camp. A French court gave an order for authorities to relocate some the refugees and migrants who live there. The action is predicted to affect thousands. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
A refugee woman prays at the makeshift church in the 'Jungle' of Calais. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Refugees and migrants gather for Friday prayers in a makeshift camp at Calais, France. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
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The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Pakistani and Afghan refugees play cricket at the makeshift camp in Calais. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Refugees must collect firewood for cooking and food preparation at the camp. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Afghan refugees walk along the seashore of Calais, located near the makeshift camp. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Makeshift cafes and shops have opened at the camp where refugees can rest and socialise. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Barber shops and similar establishments provide for the basic needs of the refugees at the camp. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]
The Jungle/ Calais/ Please Do Not Use
Some have described the living conditions at the 'Jungle' as an affront to human dignity. [Fabio Bucciarelli/MeMo/Al Jazeera]


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