:: How many people are in the jungle and where are they from?

When I first came to the jungle in August 2015, there were 3,000 people
there. Now there are up to 6,000. Theyre almost entirely from Africa (many
from Sudan and Eritrea) and the Middle East and the majority of them have
arrived within the last six months; they have no understanding of a Northern
European winter. Youve seen all the flip-flops, right?!

:: Have they just come in the hope that they can get access to benefits
within the UK's welfare system?
Its a myth to think they are chasing UK benefits. They have absolutely no
knowledge of the UK welfare system. They come because they have family
here. They come because they speak the language. They come because for
centuries, Britain has been seen as the home of all that is good and decent;
because for centuries, the British have been telling people that. Their entire
experience of Brits is from our soldiers, who tend to be good eggs and from
volunteers in the Jungle, who feed them, give them warm clothing and build
them shelters. Naturally, they think were top chaps; why wouldnt they?!

The ignorance among those in the Jungle is astonishing. People rock up

having travelled all the way across Europe, with no knowledge of the asylum
laws; many of them think theyll be in Trafalgar Square the next day.

Ive been telling people for weeks to get out of Calais. The border is
becoming more secure and attitudes are hardening.

:: Why dont they apply for asylum in France?

They dont speak French. Theyre at constant risk of being attacked by local
fascist groups in Calais; the police they encounter here wear intimidating ISIS-
style face masks, hit them with pepper spray or rubber bullets and launch
unprovoked tear gas grenade attacks into family areas at night. Under these
circumstances, where would you want to live?

I have had brutal conversations trying to explain to the migrants that the
volunteers they encounter do not represent all Brits. Many dont welcome
refugees and dont want them in Britain.

Its just one more layer of frustration to the whole horrific situation.
:: What's your background and involvement with the jungle?
A million years ago I was in the British Army. Now I work for a US corporate. I
spent two weeks working in the Jungle last summer and have since returned
most weekends. I take caravans which have been donated for use by refugee
families. A group of us have set up an aid operation called "Jungle Canopy".
:: What do you make of the plan to demolish half of the camp?
The Southern half of the camp (the area marked for demolition) is more
densely populated and includes almost all the infrastructure that has
developed over the last six months, as well as two thirds of the population.
The following would be destroyed: the Women and Childrens Centre, the
Youth Centre, three mosques, the Orthodox church, three schools, the Jungle
Books library, the Good Chance theatre, the Legal Centre, the Vaccination
Centre and three hot food distribution points.

The authorities say this will affect between 800 and 1,000 people. This is not
true. A headcount last week showed over 3,400 would be made homeless,
including most of the 290 unaccompanied minors.

:: The authorities have provided alternative accommodation in the

northern half of the camp. What's wrong with that?
Theres no physical room in the northern half for everyone to relocate and
everyone knows that the noose will be further tightened, immediately, so
people are staying put. No-one sees any point in moving, this time. The
French riot police are already deployed in force and have water cannon ready.

:: The authorities say they have 700 places available in the shipping
containers. Why won't the refugees and migrants use these?
Theyre dormitories with no privacy and no storage. There is no cooking in the
compound. People want to gather as families or communities and cook/eat
together. One hot meal is provided per day which means hours of queuing.
Critically, the containers are in a secure compound, accessed via a hand-
scan. People are suspicious. If theyre finger-printed, they cant claim UK
asylum if they make it across.

The authorities assure that this is not fingerprinting, but there is extreme
distrust of this assertion. The containers bear a stark resemblance to a
concentration camp.
:: The authorities have also said that the refugees could disperse to 102
winter respite centres (CAOs) set up around France. Isn't this a
solution?
The conditions in the CAOs sound okay to me but the refugees dont want to
be scattered around France. Theres a reason they are in Calais; not just to try
to make it to the UK, but also to be with their communities.

It seems likely that the destruction of the Jungle will result in loads of
temporary encampments along the coast. No town will want to risk a new
Jungle, so people will not be allowed to establish themselves. They will be
hounded.

If the Jungle is razed, the residents will have absolutely nothing left to lose.
Desperate people sometimes do bad things. They will be freezing and
starving. They are already abandoned by the French and British governments;
now we are talking about destroying all that they have left - their community.