The Situation in Northern France
The children we work with are subject to extremely hostile border policies, which prioritise barbed wire fences, high-tech border technologies and border guards over the safety and protection of children. During our sessions, as well as through testimonial evidence from families, our team on the ground are witness to grave children’s rights violations.
Our advocacy coordinators are dedicated to advocating for the rights of the children we work with. We call for France and the UK to uphold their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which enshrines the rights of every child. Each month, we publish a report shining a light on a different area of children’s rights. These reports are made in collaboration with other organisations on the ground in northern France and with the support of Refugee Rights Europe. You can read the full reports here
Since Project Play started in 2018, we have been documenting children's rights violations we witness on a daily basis during our sessions. We have consistently seen degrading and inhumane living conditions in the informal camps, with minimal access to the most basic facilities. There is currently only one water point, no state-run food distribution and no access to formal education for children and minors. As winter weather conditions set in, the temperatures at night time begin to drop, forcing families to sleep outside in freezing conditions with no sustainable sheltering options.
Each month we release a Children’s Rights Violation info-graphic, documenting the rights violations we have witnessed over the course of that month. For our past info-graphics, click the links below:
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