The absence of those security measures, however, leads to a different problem: criminals control who gets to stay here. People smugglers, many with ties to the Iraqi Kurdish community, deposit hopeful travelers at the camp and then demand thousands of euros more for promised passage to the UK. The camp appears tranquil by day, but it's chilling to hear from refugees, migrants and volunteers about the invisible grip of the people-smuggling gangs. Even here, far from the chaos and destruction at home, refugees face violence: one man tells us about gunshots in the camp recently.
Rory Fox, a volunteer at the camp's school, describes Grande-Synthe as "crime central."Gary Thomas, an English volunteer helping out at the Grande-Synthe school, says the smugglers bring people in and charge new arrivals for keys to huts before transporting them across the Channel to the UK, defender series case for apple iphone 7 plus and iphone 8 plus - purple The camp, which should house 2,500 migrants, is less than half full -- and the number of occupants is actually falling, The handprint scanner at the container camp and the crime at Grande-Synthe are now driving many refugees to the wretched slum both were supposed to replace: the Jungle..
But the Jungle hasn't had any of the thought and planning that went into building the other camps. Volunteers are trying to address that situation even as its population swells. (Since we visited, the population has risen to more than 9,100.). British, French and other European volunteers wearing white vests that bear the logo of Care4Calais distribute meals and warm clothing to people throughout the Jungle. Donations are made online, where the group organizes online communities that reach out to people around the world who want to help.
These online communities also allow charities and humanitarian organizations to coordinate their efforts, Care4Calais works with Calaid, l'Auberge des Migrants and Help Refugees to invite donations of money and essentials, Clothing, food and hygiene products are badly needed, Donors can also buy items like tents, sleeping bags and shoes to be delivered to the camps, Among the most essential items for these displaced people are mobile phones, defender series case for apple iphone 7 plus and iphone 8 plus - purple which let the refugees find information about what's going on around them, tap into translation apps and stay in touch with friends and family..
Another group, the Hummingbird Project, allows people to donate their old smartphone to a refugee. The group is particularly keen on getting phones to an estimated 420 unaccompanied children who have ended up in the Jungle. Phone Credits For Refugees, a British charity, runs a program to help refugees maintain contact with their families by purchasing phone credit for them. The Jungle also has its own informal economy, which runs along a stretch of dusty sand known as the "high street."Cafes operating out of cobbled-together shelters offer generous Afghan meals for a few euros, supplementing the overstretched food supplies donated by charities. Shops sell bottled water, energy drinks and cigarettes, as well as all-important mobile phone SIM cards and credit.