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| Football offers a haven of hope beyond the heartache of life as a refugee | Football offers a haven of hope beyond the heartache of life as a refugee |
| (7 months later) | |
| As football pitches go, a 100m buffer zone of sand rutted by the deep tracks left behind by trucks and bulldozers is not the greatest surface in the world. This area, which was part of the Jungle camp in Calais until the French authorities demolished it, is now known as no man’s land. With clunky boots, and an old upright tyre and a welly in a bucket for goalposts, a group of boys gather in the afternoon to have a match and are able, just for a while, to forget. | As football pitches go, a 100m buffer zone of sand rutted by the deep tracks left behind by trucks and bulldozers is not the greatest surface in the world. This area, which was part of the Jungle camp in Calais until the French authorities demolished it, is now known as no man’s land. With clunky boots, and an old upright tyre and a welly in a bucket for goalposts, a group of boys gather in the afternoon to have a match and are able, just for a while, to forget. |
| The boys are refugees living in the camp. Most are unaccompanied minors, fending for themselves without the support of any family. Three times a week – weather and a space to play without the riot police intervening permitting – they get to experience a kind of escapism. All the trauma in their life that has taken them to that point, and all the confusion of what lies ahead, seems to fade out for those hours when they get to play football. “I feel so happy,” says Wahid from Afghanistan, who is 12 years old, as he practises his skills on the sand. | The boys are refugees living in the camp. Most are unaccompanied minors, fending for themselves without the support of any family. Three times a week – weather and a space to play without the riot police intervening permitting – they get to experience a kind of escapism. All the trauma in their life that has taken them to that point, and all the confusion of what lies ahead, seems to fade out for those hours when they get to play football. “I feel so happy,” says Wahid from Afghanistan, who is 12 years old, as he practises his skills on the sand. |
| He recalls his journey with a halting voice. He was piled into a vehicle with a group of adults that was driven at a speed that terrified him. This went on for three days and nights with no food or water. Then a harrowing boat trip. He mentions beatings and fear as he continued travelling north. | He recalls his journey with a halting voice. He was piled into a vehicle with a group of adults that was driven at a speed that terrified him. This went on for three days and nights with no food or water. Then a harrowing boat trip. He mentions beatings and fear as he continued travelling north. |
| The football matches are organised by the Baloo Youth Centre, a safe haven in the Jungle for boys aged between 12 and 18 to head to for some respite, some activities, the chance to be a teenager and burn off some of their coiled energy and anxiety. There are games, some education and a meal every day. | The football matches are organised by the Baloo Youth Centre, a safe haven in the Jungle for boys aged between 12 and 18 to head to for some respite, some activities, the chance to be a teenager and burn off some of their coiled energy and anxiety. There are games, some education and a meal every day. |
| Two of the volunteers, Ben Teuten from England and Aske Krielgaard from Denmark, came up with the idea of organising some football a few months ago. “It was an instant success,” Ben says. “Sport has given them a chance to break free from the camp, forget about the past, the present and the future, to be themselves. It’s a breath of relief to see the guys laughing. You see the stress of everyday life in camp dissipate. It’s nice to see kids be kids again, and not have to put on the maturity of being an adult. | Two of the volunteers, Ben Teuten from England and Aske Krielgaard from Denmark, came up with the idea of organising some football a few months ago. “It was an instant success,” Ben says. “Sport has given them a chance to break free from the camp, forget about the past, the present and the future, to be themselves. It’s a breath of relief to see the guys laughing. You see the stress of everyday life in camp dissipate. It’s nice to see kids be kids again, and not have to put on the maturity of being an adult. |
| “After the football, when they walk back into camp, you see their faces harden. They have to be tough so they don’t get preyed on by other people.” | “After the football, when they walk back into camp, you see their faces harden. They have to be tough so they don’t get preyed on by other people.” |
| The youths in camp, particularly the unaccompanied minors, are such a vulnerable group. Around 80% of those who come to play football have no one looking after them. Jonny Willis, who also works at the youth centre, elaborates: “The 12- to 18-year-old boys are a group that kind of slips through the net. We acknowledge that the needs of young men are quite different to the needs of grown men. Here it’s grow up, be a man, at 13, 14, 15. Go fend for yourself, go and sort your own housing, etc. | The youths in camp, particularly the unaccompanied minors, are such a vulnerable group. Around 80% of those who come to play football have no one looking after them. Jonny Willis, who also works at the youth centre, elaborates: “The 12- to 18-year-old boys are a group that kind of slips through the net. We acknowledge that the needs of young men are quite different to the needs of grown men. Here it’s grow up, be a man, at 13, 14, 15. Go fend for yourself, go and sort your own housing, etc. |
| “I see a lot of restlessness, a lot of anxiety, an obvious lack of parents, of father figures. It maybe goes too far to say this but it’s a gap we try to fill. You do notice there are a lot of kids who at the start were quite intimidating to us, with a lot of anger and unrest, but that seems to calm down the more they trust you. Within the space of a few weeks you are essentially seeing a different young person.” | “I see a lot of restlessness, a lot of anxiety, an obvious lack of parents, of father figures. It maybe goes too far to say this but it’s a gap we try to fill. You do notice there are a lot of kids who at the start were quite intimidating to us, with a lot of anger and unrest, but that seems to calm down the more they trust you. Within the space of a few weeks you are essentially seeing a different young person.” |
| The unaccompanied minors are a priority for some of the charities working on the ground in the camp. Help Refugees and Citizens UK are endeavouring to push the French and British governments to expedite the cases of those who are young and alone. The need to get them out of camp as quickly and safely as possible and into the next phase of their lives has to be a matter of urgency. | The unaccompanied minors are a priority for some of the charities working on the ground in the camp. Help Refugees and Citizens UK are endeavouring to push the French and British governments to expedite the cases of those who are young and alone. The need to get them out of camp as quickly and safely as possible and into the next phase of their lives has to be a matter of urgency. |
| Ali is 15, from Hasakah in the north-eastern corner of Syria. He has an uncle in the UK but bureaucracy makes it very difficult for him to be reunited with the only member of his family living in Europe. He has lived by himself in the camp for two months, and sometimes tries his luck with what they call “the walk” to try to find some way under cover of darkness to get across to the UK. “I am tired, it’s cold, we make many failed attempts,” he says. “We try but there is no hope. There are lots of problems and lots of gangs.” | Ali is 15, from Hasakah in the north-eastern corner of Syria. He has an uncle in the UK but bureaucracy makes it very difficult for him to be reunited with the only member of his family living in Europe. He has lived by himself in the camp for two months, and sometimes tries his luck with what they call “the walk” to try to find some way under cover of darkness to get across to the UK. “I am tired, it’s cold, we make many failed attempts,” he says. “We try but there is no hope. There are lots of problems and lots of gangs.” |
| Ali is a polite, dignified teenager who tells his story with quiet honesty. “On one occasion Daesh entered the town of Hasakah. Daesh started going from one neighbourhood to another searching house to house. So people started to flee,” he says. “We all left with nothing but our souls.” | Ali is a polite, dignified teenager who tells his story with quiet honesty. “On one occasion Daesh entered the town of Hasakah. Daesh started going from one neighbourhood to another searching house to house. So people started to flee,” he says. “We all left with nothing but our souls.” |
| He travelled to the capital, Damascus, and then onwards with a cousin to Lebanon and Turkey. “My cousin decided to stay in Turkey and I decided to keep going. From this point on I was on my own. The hardest part of my journey was the boat trip. The waves were very high and toying with the boat. We arrived after three hours of fear.” | He travelled to the capital, Damascus, and then onwards with a cousin to Lebanon and Turkey. “My cousin decided to stay in Turkey and I decided to keep going. From this point on I was on my own. The hardest part of my journey was the boat trip. The waves were very high and toying with the boat. We arrived after three hours of fear.” |
| Ali hopes to get to his uncle, partly to restart his life (he wants to study mechanical engineering) but also to find out about his family. Since leaving Syria he has had no contact. He left behind three younger brothers and a sister as well as his parents. “I have no idea what happened to them. My uncle lives in the UK and I want to get to him. I can’t really stay in any other country because I don’t know anyone there and I am on my own.” | Ali hopes to get to his uncle, partly to restart his life (he wants to study mechanical engineering) but also to find out about his family. Since leaving Syria he has had no contact. He left behind three younger brothers and a sister as well as his parents. “I have no idea what happened to them. My uncle lives in the UK and I want to get to him. I can’t really stay in any other country because I don’t know anyone there and I am on my own.” |
| The emotional wounds of broken families hits at all ends of the age scale. Samer is a father in the camp missing his children in Sudan. They are aged four, two and three months – he has never seen his youngest. | The emotional wounds of broken families hits at all ends of the age scale. Samer is a father in the camp missing his children in Sudan. They are aged four, two and three months – he has never seen his youngest. |
| “When I see the sunrise every single day that means I have hope to meet my family one day,” he says. “The sunrise means hope. If there is no hope my life is finished. With hope you can still live a life.” | “When I see the sunrise every single day that means I have hope to meet my family one day,” he says. “The sunrise means hope. If there is no hope my life is finished. With hope you can still live a life.” |
| There are roughly 200 unaccompanied minors with family in the UK living in the camp. The shelter and support they have is under threat, as the French government is planning to raze the southern part of the camp next week. The damage that was caused to life here by the creation of the 100m buffer zone will only be felt more desperately. | There are roughly 200 unaccompanied minors with family in the UK living in the camp. The shelter and support they have is under threat, as the French government is planning to raze the southern part of the camp next week. The damage that was caused to life here by the creation of the 100m buffer zone will only be felt more desperately. |
| That is eloquently explained by Maya Konforti, a legend of this place. She is a wise and worldly humanitarian from L’Auberge des Migrants who has moved in to the Jungle and stays in her caravan alongside those she wishes to help. | That is eloquently explained by Maya Konforti, a legend of this place. She is a wise and worldly humanitarian from L’Auberge des Migrants who has moved in to the Jungle and stays in her caravan alongside those she wishes to help. |
| Demolition would be, she says, “a catastrophe”, because the extraordinary sense of community that has developed against all odds is in jeopardy. More than 3,000 people, including 400 children, live in the southern section. In addition there are vital facilities such as the youth centre, legal centre, mosques, a church, a schoolroom and a library. | Demolition would be, she says, “a catastrophe”, because the extraordinary sense of community that has developed against all odds is in jeopardy. More than 3,000 people, including 400 children, live in the southern section. In addition there are vital facilities such as the youth centre, legal centre, mosques, a church, a schoolroom and a library. |
| “As much as we complained for a long time about the conditions, thanks to the contributions from many Europeans who have come to bring their help in this Jungle they have improved. We are going to lose the community. We are going to lose this place where refugees get to know Europeans and Europeans get to know refugees, and get to realise refugees are not people to be scared of. There is humanity in this camp. There are seeds of something wonderful also happening here.” | “As much as we complained for a long time about the conditions, thanks to the contributions from many Europeans who have come to bring their help in this Jungle they have improved. We are going to lose the community. We are going to lose this place where refugees get to know Europeans and Europeans get to know refugees, and get to realise refugees are not people to be scared of. There is humanity in this camp. There are seeds of something wonderful also happening here.” |
| Back at the Baloo Youth Centre, Wahid does what he does almost every day. “I always come here and say: ‘Come on Ben and Jonny, please can we play football!’” He breaks into a broad smile. “It is so lovely to play.” | Back at the Baloo Youth Centre, Wahid does what he does almost every day. “I always come here and say: ‘Come on Ben and Jonny, please can we play football!’” He breaks into a broad smile. “It is so lovely to play.” |
| Jonny ponders the thought that all this infrastructure and the goodwill and support and moments of snatched fun that spring from it may be demolished next week. “It’s absolutely terrifying,” he says. “If all this goes we just can’t see how this plays out. We can’t see where our young people go. | Jonny ponders the thought that all this infrastructure and the goodwill and support and moments of snatched fun that spring from it may be demolished next week. “It’s absolutely terrifying,” he says. “If all this goes we just can’t see how this plays out. We can’t see where our young people go. |
| “As much as we are trying to come up with a contingency plan it’s almost impossible to find one that will meet their needs.” | “As much as we are trying to come up with a contingency plan it’s almost impossible to find one that will meet their needs.” |
| In the meantime, they head for the sand, the 100m buffer zone, and start to kick a ball around. Wahid scores a fine angled goal with his left foot and whirls off in celebration. In that moment he forgets about yesterday and tomorrow. | In the meantime, they head for the sand, the 100m buffer zone, and start to kick a ball around. Wahid scores a fine angled goal with his left foot and whirls off in celebration. In that moment he forgets about yesterday and tomorrow. |
| Amy Lawrence travelled with Help Refugees to the refugee camp at Calais | Amy Lawrence travelled with Help Refugees to the refugee camp at Calais |
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