Coronavirus: in Calais, associations prevented from helping vulnerable populations

Text by: Nicolas Rocca

Helping the unconfinable, those who cannot shelter, is the daily challenge of many associations. The government has assured that actions to combat precariousness must continue, but on the ground, volunteers tell another reality. In Calais, some of them were even fined during their raids.

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“ For the most precarious, for the most deprived, for the isolated people, we will make sure, with the big associations, with also the local communities and their services, that they can be nourished, protected, that the services that we must be assured ”. These words are those of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, on March 16, during his televised address announcing the widespread confinement. Commitments that associations find it difficult to see applied, especially in the department of Pas-de-Calais.

“ They don't want us to continue documenting what's going on in Calais. They verbalize us, prevent us from making food distributions in the city center … ”, affirms Yann Manzi, co-founder of the association Utopia 56. To believe it, the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais is putting in place measures to limit the assistance to migrants and the homeless present both in Grande-Synthe and in Calais.

Fines, curfews and geographic boundaries

According to Yann Manzi, more than 1,500 people (1,000 and 1,200 in Calais and between 500 and 700 in Grande Synthe) are in immediate need of shelter, food and health aid, normally provided by different associations. The prefecture is said to have contacted association leaders to tell them what they consider to be " strict restrictions on the exercise of their mission ".

Among these measures is a humanitarian curfew which prevents any distribution between 8 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. To justify these prohibitions, the prefecture invokes the need to " respect the sanitary conditions for combating the spread of Covid-19 ". This would allow associations in particular to intervene " at the right times of the day ".

18 reports for non-compliance with confinement

In addition to these time limits, geographic restrictions have also been indicated to association staff. For example, the ban on distributing food in the city center, where many homeless people are found.

The prefecture justifies this decision by considering that the associations must intervene “ as close as possible to the migrants, on their camp located in the industrial zone. However, the work of humanitarian associations also applies to the homeless. Many people prefer to be in the city center in order to " avoid being in camps ", where sanitary conditions are worrying and which could possibly encourage the spread of the virus.

Added to this is the verbalization of volunteers. " We received 18 reports for breach of confinement, " says Yann Manzi. The co-founder of Utopia 56 himself received four fines. " They warned me that it was going to end in prison. "

However, members of associations benefit from exit certificates as part of their duties. This allows them to carry out marauding and to come to the aid of people who need it. They strive to apply health regulations despite a reduced staff. “ We respect barrier gestures, at the beginning we didn't have masks. Little by little we organized ourselves to have masks and gel. "

The prefecture does not deny the number of fines given, but only indicates that " only a few volunteers have been fined under the supervision of the prosecution ". If two associations, Utopia 56 and the Auberge des migrants, have suffered these fines, other actors in the field are united. " It is unacceptable. These are associations that make up for the shortcomings of the State, and behind them are annoyed, "says Juliette Delaplace, of Secours Catholique. Less present on the ground since the start of confinement, she nevertheless shared the same observations as her colleagues.

Continued evictions

" Since the start of containment, there have been 54 evacuations," deplores Yann Manzi. Intimidation and harassment continue on the ground, the Covid-19 truce does not exist for these populations. Different associations have applied for interim measures to the prefecture so that hotel rooms are requisitioned to confine the homeless. The state began sheltering these populations on April 3. A week later, only 240 migrants were taken to five centers in the department.

At this rate, if we believe the figures of the associations, It would take six weeks for all the exiles to be confined to adequate sanitary situations. And for the more than 1,200 remaining in the department, they suffer: " Dismantling of small camps almost daily, explains Juliette Delaplace , the police come and dislodge them for 48 hours, sometimes taking tents and quilts. And on top of that, the prefecture warned us that we would be fined if we attended. While it is still the minimum. "

To this problem is added that of feeding the populations. “ We are in a food emergency , judge Yann Manzi. Knowing that our friends from Refugees Community Kitchen (British association, editor's note) have left the field. The people there keep asking us to drink and eat. It is quite horrible what is happening in Grande-Synthe and in Calais . "

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