Eleven years ago, we paid our first visit to Calais. We had heard of the “Jungle” but had no idea what to expect.
One word which we often saw painted on the sides of tents was “Hope!”. I found it hard to imagine how you could possibly have hope when every door was closed to you. Imagine the cold permeating your tent, no fires, no easy cups of tea, none of the necessities we take for granted. I find it hard to imagine how I would have survived.
I once met a father from Syria who fled after speaking out against human rights abuses. His daughter still wakes up with nightmares of the violence and atrocities she witnessed. People in Calais have experienced violence, loss, and displacement. Their trauma is compounded by the violence and hostility they meet on their journeys to safety.
I have learnt so much from the people I have met. Seeing people pray together, using their coats as prayer mats even in the pouring rain, I’ve been struck over and over again by the faith and resilience people demonstrate, even when faced with explicit hostility, forced evictions, and no access to essential needs.
That is why we keep returning. The need has not disappeared, and neither has our call to respond. When so many doors are closed, we are reminded that the Gospel asks us to keep ours open.
Our regular stops are Care4Calais- where we meet incredible volunteers, including many young people. They always keep us up to date with the situation in Calais and Dunkirk. On our last visit, they described the eviction scene on a campsite that morning when the French Police had evicted hundreds of people from their tents. They had confiscated tents and everything they could lay their hands on.
We then visited Secours Catholique where the leader Rasta always welcomes us. On one of our recent visits, we met two Eritrean families with their toddlers. We were reminded of another family who had to flee a violent regime two thousand years ago and we asked ourselves has anything really Changed? One wonders where all the hatred and cruelty comes from.
Our final stop is the Refugee Community Kitchen where we often spend a few hours chopping garlic, onions or whatever is needed. They cook hundreds of meals there daily in their Warehouse Kitchen- over 4 million hot, nourishing meals have been cooked by their amazing volunteers, since they began ten years ago.
I pray that our society will wake up to the reality of the injustice being inflicted by power hungry regimes, and that we will look to our consciences and think about how we are treating people seeking safety.
As Advent approaches, I pray that we all make an effort to make room at our Inn for all who knock on our door. Help us see who and what Jesus wants us to see and leave no one unacknowledged.
