A recent visit to Calais finds asylum seekers and migrants living in destitution and experiencing police harassment and abuse
The situation for many migrants and asylum seekers in France - and especially those in Calais - is dire, Human Rights Watch said in a report today.
You can read the report here.
In the report, Human Rights Watch says France faces a crisis of inadequate accommodation for asylum seekers, with only a third provided with accommodation in reception centres.
The situation is particularly acute in Calais, where asylum seekers and migrants face destitution and police violence. Several thousand, most from Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, are living in makeshift camps or in the streets of the town.
In November and December, Human Rights Watch visited four makeshift camps in Calais and a group of asylum seekers living in the street. Hundreds of people, including women and very young children, were sleeping in tents, on mattresses outside, with little or no shelter from the cold, the report found.
Human Rights Watch says most migrants and asylum seekers in Calais have no shelter from the cold and the rain, no access to sanitation, and very limited access to running water. Many depend on food provided by local organisations and volunteers.
In addition, Human Rights Watch says migrants and asylum seekers described what appears to be routine abuses by police officers.
"Nineteen, including two of the children, said police had abused them at least once, including beatings. Eight had visible broken limbs or other injuries, which they alleged were caused by police in Calais and surrounding areas. Twenty one, including two children, said police had sprayed them with pepper spray," the report stated.
While the recent opening of a warehouse for some migrants to sleep in is an improvement, Human Rights Watch says the facilities are very basic and the situation for many asylum seekers remains dire.
Human Rights Watch says the French government should comply with its obligations under the EU reception directive and immediately provide accommodation to all asylum applicants while their claims are processed, including those who indicate an intention to seek asylum.