the return of the order against the distribution of food and drink to migrants angers associations
[ad_1]
The Auberge des Migrants and Secours Catholique, associations that help migrants, deplore the ” return “ bans on food distribution in the city center of Calais and denounce a “harassment policy” recurring and “inefficient”.
After a few months without prefectural decrees, the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais has prohibited since August 14 associations not mandated by the State from distributing water and food at the level of two quays in the city center, a decree renewed Monday until September 6. Similar orders, but over a larger area of thirty-one streets, were taken between September 2020 and April 2022, provoking the ire of associations. The purpose of the measure was then “to prevent the risks associated with Covid-19 and public order disturbances”according to the prefecture.
The new decree has this time “designed to respond to the difficulties following the recent and dangerous installation of migrant tents in this area where the circulation of heavy goods vehicles and vehicles is particularly important and where the accumulation of waste has been observed”argues the prefecture. “We are disgusted. We thought we were done with that.”reacted to Agence France-Presse Pierre Roques, coordinator in Calais of the association Auberge des migrants. “It proves to us that the policy of the new prefect, who took office at the beginning of August, is in line with his predecessor”he regrets.
Harassment Policy
Until spring, “When you read the arguments used, over the months it seemed more and more absurd. At first, the pretext was the Covid-19. Little by little, they shelled sordid news items. Then it stopped because it was getting ridiculous. Today, they start again ». The two streets concerned, “this is where people are arriving the most at the moment, and have the least access to services” and to the distributions organized by the association La Vie active, mandated by the State, he said.
“There are a hundred people there, including families, unaccompanied minors. The state does not intervene.added Juliette Delaplace, project manager at Secours Catholique. “The idea is to starve, [de] cut off supplies to dissuade people from staying. “We are, recurrently, in completely stupid, ineffective decrees”, because these people “who are fleeing the attacks, the war, will continue to come”judged Jean-Claude Lenoir, president of the Salam association, denouncing this “harassment as the only policy”.
Record number of crossings, Monday
Some 1,295 migrants made the crossing on Monday in 27 boats, according to figures released Tuesday by the British Ministry of Defence. Monday’s peak crossing is “due to the weather conditions, optimal for crossing at this time”, noted Pierre Roques. For Jean-Claude Lenoir, “It’s like this every day as soon as there’s no wind” and “It’s been like this all week”. Migrants “do not stay in France, because the living conditions are deplorableestimated Juliette Delaplace for her part. There is always, in summer, a seasonal increase, because it is very difficult to survive on the streets in Calais in winter”.
Monday’s crossings bring to 22,670, according to the count of the Press Association agency, the number of migrants having made this trip since the beginning of the year, against only 12,500 on the same date in 2021.
[ad_2]
Source link
