No Man’s Land

In Calais, nearly 65 kilometers of barbed wire fences crisscross the city. Since the Touquet Agreements were signed in 2003, there has been an externalization of the British border onto French soil. England has paid over 170 million euros to France to secure its border against the influx of migrants in Pas-de-Calais.

The city, with the support of the state, has implemented a policy of repression towards the hundreds of exiles still present in Calais. The forests where the camps are established have been systematically evacuated, cleared, and then fenced off. Around the port and the Eurotunnel, walls and barbed wire fences, sometimes electrified, have been installed to prevent migrants from entering. These measures also affect the residents of Calais, who are deprived of certain green spaces and have to endure this fenced-in environment in their daily lives.

With the 30 kilometers between Calais and Dover becoming nearly impassable, exiles are taking greater risks to cross the strait, notably using small boats. According to the maritime prefecture, in 2021 more than 12,000 people attempted to cross the Channel in boats, compared to about 2,300 in 2019. Over 20 years, more than 346 exiles have died trying to reach England.

Calais, March 2020 – November 2021