The two activists from Calais who had been on hunger strike since October 11 in support of migrants announced on Wednesday November 17 the end of their action. “We are no longer able to fight through the hunger strike. This is why we have decided today to put an end to it ”, said Anaïs Vogel and Ludovic Holbein.
They had started their fast to denounce the treatment “Inhuman” inflicted on migrants and demand a moratorium on the dismantling of camps, with a 72-year-old priest, Philippe Demeestère, who had himself started to eat again after twenty-five days.
“We are tired and angry. We are not listened to. The dialogue is closed ”, said Ludovic Holbein, during a press conference. Tears in her eyes, emaciated, Anaïs Vogel claimed to have “Shame of the politicians who govern us”.
Three dead and four missing since January
The government quickly dispatched an on-site mediator, the director of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, Didier Leschi, to try to calm the situation. The senior official asked them on November 10, after several meetings with them and associations, to stop their strike.
“We have addressed the issue of migrants’ personal belongings, putting an end to surprise evacuations. They now have a deadline to collect them. We responded to the request for a citizen dialogue ”, with a committee that brings together associations and state services, had in particular listed the government envoy. a ” reception center “ for the night was also opened on a temporary basis, but has since closed. The exiles are now taken to new accommodation places: 150 in Pas-de-Calais and 150 outside, according to a press release from the prefecture published on Wednesday.
For years, migrants have flocked to the Hauts-de-France coast in the hope of reaching the United Kingdom, with a marked increase, since 2020, in crossings aboard small boats. According to the United Kingdom, 22,000 migrants have managed to reach England since January. Three dead and four missing are to be deplored.