Refugee Youth Service 2019 Annual Report and a Brief History of RYS in France Content

Refugee Youth Service 2019 Annual Report And a brief history of RYS in France Content

Part I: Mission and goals

• Who we are 5 • Mission statement 6 • The situation in northern France 8 • RYS’ original k ey objectives 13 • RYS in 2019 14

Part II: Activities

• Fridays in Grande Synthe: swimming lessons, access to showers and

a skate park 19

• Sunday Funday in Calais: football, cricket, volleyball, tennis and yoga 21 • Photography workshops in Calais and Grande Synthe 23 • Art and quiet space 26 • Barber shop 28 • Knitting and stitching 29 •P uzzles, sudoku, crosswords 30 • Lego 31 •English lessons 33 • Performers Without Borders in Calais 34

Part III: Media coverage and advocacy

• British media’s visits to Calais and Grande Synthe 35 • Lost in Europe’s visit to Calais and Grande Synthe 35 • RYS on the Homesick podcast 36 • British Home Office’s visit 36

Concluding remarks 37

Collaborations in 2019 38

Bibliography 39

2 Glossary Unaccompanied minor (UAM)

An unaccompanied minor or unaccompanied child as defined by UNHCR is ‘a child who is under the age of eighteen, unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is, attained earlier and who is ‘separated from both parents and is not being cared for by an adult who by law or custom has responsibility to do so.’

In France, a minor who is unaccompanied is considered as such if he/she is under 18 with no adult legally responsible for him/her on the national territory, or does not effectively take charge of him/her and does not

show desire to be entrusted with responsibility for the child over long term.

For the purposes of this report, the legal term ‘unaccompanied minor’ is being used to refer to any child below the age of 18 years old. Sometimes the words ‘unaccompanied child’ or ‘unaccompanied children’ are also used as synonymous to unaccompanied minors.

Informal settlements/ makeshift camps

Also called ‘spontaneous s ettlements’ o r sel f- establishe d c am ps. T he y a re a gr ou p o f ten te d o r othe r t y pe s o f hou s ing un its estab l i shed by dis pla ced peopl e or peopl e on the m o ve t he ms el v e s or b y non -ex pe r i en c e d ac tors, often form ed on a la n d t ha t th e o cc u pan ts ha ve n o lega l c lai m to . T h e o cc upan t s usuall y in ten d t o sta y in th is lo ca t i on f or an ex t ende d pe r iod o f t im e .

The Convention on the rights of the child

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) outlines ‘the fundamental rights of children, including the right to be protected from economic exploitation and harmful work, from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse, and from physical or mental violence, as well as ensuring that children will not be separated from their family against their will. These rights are further refined by two Optional Protocols, one on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornograph y, and the other on the involvement of children in armed conflict.’

The ‘Jungle’ or ‘jungles’

‘The Jungle’ or ‘jungles’ ha ve be come a common expression am ong the local popu lation, vol unteers, aid workers or peo p le on the move, whi ch refer to the informal camps set up in Calais, Coque lles an d Sa nga tte, n ear the French entrance to the Euro Tunne l an d the Ca lais po rt area. Frequen tly dism antled by the po lice, these makeshift camps saw t hei r popula tion gr ea tly incr ea se following the closure of the Sanga tte center in 2 002 and the ‘The Jungle’ refugee camp in 201 6 . The term ‘jung le’ ha s remai ne d as r efer en ce no t just for the former ref uge e camp closed in 2016 ne a r Calai s bu t the term is also used for all informal settlem en ts ar oun d Ca lais & Gr and e Synthe. Forced eviction

The involuntary removal of persons from their homes or informal temporary settlements, directly or indirectly attributable to the State. The right not to be forcibly evicted is an element of the human right to adequate housing. 3 Introduction

Refugee Youth Service (RYS) was founded with a short-term mission; to protect

unaccompanied children living in the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp. With the last

days of the jungle in sight from the start, what ensued over the following four years

was not originally planned for or expected. This report shows how this unexpected

journey unfolded, stretching into almost a year of project delivery in the camp

itself, and a following three years of being mobile around Calais and eventually

Grand-Synthe. The northern France context evolves rapidly and thus information,

learning and insight from the most recent year is of the most relevance. The

activities of 2019 are therefore the focus of this report.

Refugee Youth service is extending i ts commitmen t to northe rn Fran ce by ano ther th ree yea rs, but has acknowledg ed that a new s tr a t egy is n ee d ed to en su re fur t he r sign ifican t cha ng e in t he treatment of u na cco mpanie d child re n acr oss the region . As a fo reig n chari ty, regi ster e d in t he U K, R YS has enjo yed va r ious bene fits includin g funding streams an d access t o volunt ee rs, o f whi ch both were s ee mingly abun dant du ring the ear lier days. It has howe ver be c ome ap paren t in m o re re cen t times that the bigg er lev e l chan g es t hat Re fuge e You th Serv ice wi she s to s e e requi re the voice o f a loca l organi sation ; a loud er voice that ca n be p re sent whe re it real ly n ee d s to b e hea rd. This is no t a n identity attainabl e by Refu ge e Y ou th Se rv ice unde r the c u rr en t inf r astr u ctu re. F or this r eason , Re fug ee Youth Serv ice will be han din g o ver i ts work to a F ren ch pa rtne r o r ganis atio n th r oughou t 2020 , wi th fun ding secu re d for this pa r tne r until 2 023. Re fugee You th Service rem ain s c omm itte d to sup port ing this pa rtne r where ve r ne ed ed, in pa rticula r sharin g the lea r nin g and ins igh ts gained ove r the past f our years o f operations, and engagin g in advo cacy strategies targeting the French-UK border.

At the end o f 201 6 RYS release d a comp rehe ns ive rep ort on its activ iti e s in th e Ca lais camp . The

report state d th at ‘W e live in u nstab l e tim es. Gove rn me nts ha ve tur ned thei r backs on t he w o rld’s most vulnerab le p eop le and the future can o f ten appear bleak.

However, Calais has shown us tha t there is lig ht in t h e darkness. T he pow er of peop le to co me toge ther and help e ach o the r insp ir es fur th er su p p ort a n d th e movem e nt l i v es on ’ . I t is b e c a u se al l elem e n t s of this state m ent r e m a in tru e th at R e fu gee Y o u th S er v i ce pledg e s i ts co m m i t m e n t for the c om i n g y ea rs.

Jonathan Willis,

Chief Executive Officer

4 Mission and goals

Part I

Mission and goals

Who we are

Refugee Youth Service (RYS) is a needs-based, child-centered charity registered in England and Wales, with current operational work in Calais, northern France and Athens, Greece.

RYS was officially founded by Jonathan Willis, Benjamin Teuten and Aske Kreilgaard in December 2015. Through a process of collaboration, creativity, and professionalism, what initially began as an attempt to provide peer-to-peer solidarity with residents of the so- called Calais ‘Jungle’, has grown to become an NGO developing sustainable, replicable solutions to support unaccompanied minors on the move across the region.

Since its creation, RYS remained the only independent child protection actor (not mandated by the duty bearer1) in northern France, identifying unaccompanied minors on the move in Calais and Grande Synthe, creating trust-based links, accompanying and orienting them towards multi-sectoral services and/or the French child protection services (a decentralised competency in France).

In northern France, RYS currently focuses its work on child protection through a holistic approach. RYS’ activities aim at promoting an environment, which develops feelings of belonging, self-worth and a sense of community.

RYS exists to keep displaced unaccompanied minors safe, and to support them to re- start their lives where they are, or safely and legally reach an alternative destination that is in their better interest.

The organisation continuously advocates for the rights of unaccompanied minors, campaigning alongside its partners for safer routes to the United Kingdom and faster legal processes on both sides of the Channel.

1 In France, child protection is a decentralised competency held by individual Departments 5 Mission and goals

6 Mission and goals

2015

In 2015, the journey began with 3 volunteers, a football and a structure the-size-of-a-garden shed in Calais, at the French - UK border. This small team started off by providing the only safe space for unaccompanied minors in the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp , and later on, grew into a larger one becoming constitu ted as an association under the name of Refu gee Youth Service (RYS).

2016 At the beginning of 2016, RYS started partnering with Save the Children UK and Help Refugees. This

support allowed for RYS’ operational work with unaccompanied minors to grow further on the ground.

RYS began to operate a youth center within a small structure at a set location at the ‘Calais Jungle’

camp and maintained a safe space to welcome unaccompanied minors and adolescents residing in the

settlement. The center, located alongside Doctors Without Borders (MSF) services, gave the

opportunity for the creation of a ‘hub’, in which RYS provided recreational a ctivities and informal

education, while MSF provided legal counsel and psychological care. In the summer of 2016, RYS

started partnering with the Fonthill Foundation, which further increased RYS’ capacity. In October

2016, the French government took the decision to dismantle the so-called ‘Calais Jungle’, dispersing the

camp’s residents across France to a number of accommodation centres, including centres for

unaccompanied minors only. Every minor was promised an in-person interview with the UK

Home Office upon arrival at the centres, but this only became a reality for a small percentage.

Many waited for months before returning to Calais to attempt informal crossings to the UK, while

others chose to stay in France and re-start their lives. With the camp’s dismantling, unaccompanied

minors’ needs evolved and so did RYS’ response. The number of unaccompanied minors RYS

provided support to in 2016 , was approximately 1 500 . A full rev ie w of RYS’ ope rat ions in the

Calais ‘Ju ngle ’ can be found here.

2017

At the start of 2017, RYS increased its capacity through the purchase of a van, in order to launch mobile operations and through the recruitment of 5 new team members: a French social worker, a French juriste, a Pashto & Dari and a Tigrinya & Amharic interpreter, and a youth activities coordinator. Ultimately, RYS counted on a mixed multisectoral professional team supported by short-term volunteers. In that period, population demographics within Calais evolved and increased including the former residents of the old Calais camp from 2016, previous residents of the Grande Synthe camp, which burnt down in April 2017, and a steady str ea m of new arrivals. In 2017, RYS deve loped add itional partnerships with Comic Relief and Foundation de France. The number of unaccompanied minors RYS interacted with and provided support to in 2017, was app roximately 657.

2018 In January 2018, RYS saw its 2017 fundraising efforts flourish with Save the Children committing a further £103 000 to support a winter distribution, and to expand RYS’ operations into Grande Synthe, whereby

systemic weekly clearances of informal camps were observed. Unaccompanied minors were also

supported at five sites around Calais, the locations of which have been changing according to security

conditions and the movements of communities. Throughout 2018, RYS continued to advocate for change

on both sides of the English Channel and continued to provide a program of restorative and

educational activities for minors to engage in, largely through mediums of sport, art and music. In 2018,

the number of unaccompanied minors that RYS interacted with and provided support to was

approximately 805.

7 Mission and goals

In th e absen ce of adequa te respon se by the duty The situation in bea rers, a num ber of citizen driven in itiatives, associations and other NGOs are filling the ga ps. northern France Howe ver , most o f t he m be ing led by volun t eers with limite d fund in g or t rain ed staff, relying sole ly on materia l dona tions, are strugglin g to mee t th e basic Calais and Grande Synthe are two towns a t th e needs of a population in need of protecti on. French-UK border, part of the Department of Furthermore, a number of additional obstacles Pas-de-Calais and Nord, respectively, in prevent NGOs from pr ovidi ng aid as requ ired, northern France. Historically, both have been a including crim inali sing aid to m igrants, r emoving po int of pass age for peo p le o n the m ove tow ards and break ing supplies that NGOs distribu te, and the Uni ted Kingdo m. cre ating a hostile envir onmen t with re peated evictions as well as use of violence by the police. Throughout the years, these towns have seen several formal and informal settlements built and Within this context, and witnessing the numerous destroyed, whereby thousands of people have gaps towards unaccompanied minors, RYS been looking for protection. A high percentage of decided, within its capacity and resources, to the people on the move arriving, have found develop its child protection centered work. themselves in degrading and inhumane living conditions, without basic needs covered, with In principle, there are two legal routes available limited and inadequate response by the duty for minors wanting to cross to the UK: Family bearers. This has been reported numerous times reunification or via Section 67 of the Immigration by different institutions such as a s the UN Act 201 6 , o r t h e s o-c a ll e d ‘Du b s Special Rap porteur on Dig nified Housing Am endm ent’ . Y et these can be immense ly as part of OHCHR, UNICEF , Doct ors complex proc esses t o navi gate and waiting Without Border s times are lengthy. (MSF ), UNHCR and other actors on the gro und.

I n particular, the situati on in Cala is has been c ontin uousl y fluctuati ng a nd the conte xt w ithin The Dubs w hich RYS has oper ated duri ng the yea r s has c onstantly flexe d. Calais has be en a focal Amendment gathering point for people seeking protection. In 2016, Lord Alf Dubs sponsored an A s reported by various h uman righ ts and Amendment, the ‘Dubs Amendment’, to the h uma nitaria n organisa tions, peop le on the Immigration Act 2016 to offer unaccompanied m ove have consi stentl y experienc ed undignified refugee minors safe passage to Britain amidst l iv ing cond itions and freq uent discrimi nation the European migrant crisis. Originally rejected i n Cala is. T he town ha s als o been a point by the House of Commons, the amendment w he re many voluntee r s a nd service users was accepted by the government following a felt harass ed by p olice and authoritie s. This second vote in favour by the Lords. The h as be en cove red extensive ly in the Human scheme was later abandoned having only Rights Watch Report ‘Like Living in Hell’ (2017). admitted approximately 500 minors into the UK.

The violation of fundamental rights observed in A further Dubs Amendment was inserted into

this area reaches indiscriminately all displaced the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill by Lord

persons. Moreover, it affects even harder the Dubs in January 2020, intended to require the

most vulnerable, specifically, the unaccompanied UK government to negotiate an agreement with

minors. A high number of unaccompanied minors the EU to ensure that unaccompanied minors in

are found among a population which fluctuates Europe could continue to come to the UK to join

between 1 500 and 10 000 people. a relative after Brexit. The Amendment was

supported by the House of Lords, but was

rejected by the House of Commons due to the The lack of access to information, legal advice, Government opposing it. guidance and adequate safeguarding

mechanisms for displaced unaccompanied

minors in this border area, put them at high risk

of exploitation and abuse, and can often lead to

them taking dangerous journeys or falling into the

hands of human traffickers.

8 2 As mentioned above, child protection is in France a decentralised competency with unequal services from one department to another. Therefore, situations for unaccompanied minors on the move differ in Calais and in Grande Synthe and witness different evolution along the years. Mission and goals

The violation of fundamental rights observed in this area reaches indiscriminately all persons on the move and displaced populations.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

A detailed timeline of key events in relation to the human rights situation around Calais, including the opening and closing of camps, and the situation for unaccompanied minors, are reflected in Refugee Rights Europe’s report ‘ Twelve M onths O n’.

9 Mission and goals

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

A tent on the road next to one of the many fences in Calais specifically put to prevent people on the move from settling. Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

10 Mission and goals

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

11 Mission and goals

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

Informal settlement in the Calais area. Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

12 Mission and goals

RYS original ke y obj ectives • Increase children’s levels of self-worth and self-care, and access to services which promo te this . • Imp rove acce ss t o c hild pr otection for chi ldren on t he m ove .

• Improve access to accurate child-friendly information regarding rights and

options o f protection an d as ylum. • Increase access to legal processes while challenging legal processes. • Advocate for systemic improvements in the protection of children on the m ove by F rench a nd Br it ish States.

In su pport of the se objectives, R YS started pa rtnering w ith L ’Auberge de s Migrants and Help Refugees in both Calai s and Gran de Synt he.

Together, new fun draising re quests an d a rang e of activities were laun ched such as:

• Initiated outreach sessions with unaccompanied minors staying in child care centers waiting for the family reunification process; interactions focused on self-care and well-being such as holding a regular barber shop activity (see Part II), discussions on mental health and emotional well-being or awareness-raising on substance abuse.

• Supported the research for Refugee Rights data project report ‘Six Months On’, which saw 200 migrants including 83 minors asked about their experience in the region. It highlighted issues such as health concerns, lack of access to legal rights and information, and suffering from violence. It also identified the reasons why unaccompanied minors choose to go to the UK rather than consider France as an option.

• Facilitated a connection between the UK NSPCC Child Tracking Advice Team (CTAC) and the French association Utopia 56.

• Produced and published the report (in print only): ‘Somebody’s child: Resilience against the odds in the Calais Jungle’.

• Liaised with and built stronger connections with Planning Familial and Gynaecologists Sans Frontières to create stronger networks of support for unaccompanied female minors.

• Actively reached out to some minority groups of unaccompanied minors who did not attend the primary distribution points in Calais, such as the Oromo community sleeping on the streets of Calais, the Eritrean minors sleeping in the woods close to a lorry parking lot, several smaller points with unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan and minors within the Pashto speaking community in Grande Synthe.

• Strengthened the relationship with the UK NSPCC Child Tracking Advice Team (CTAC), making referrals of unaccompanied minors who are believed to have entered the UK, in order to ensure safety checks are performed.

• Organised training from CTAC on human trafficking and developed a referral pathway for field workers to report when a minor was expected to have reached the UK clandestinely (for (1) database check to see if the minors have requested asylum, or for (2) case notes to be shared with their social workers).

13 Mission and goals

RYS in 2019

In northern France, unaccompanied minors remained highly vulnerable, lacking access to health care, appropriate hygiene or sanitation. The lack of sufficient services providing age and language appropriate information about their legal options coupled with the daily police pressure and violent means to dismantle makeshift camps, contributed to the unprotected environment. Unaccompanied minors continued to be at risk of being exposed to abuse and exploitation by traffickers and other associated problems of unsafe migration.

Additionally, while accommodation spaces are made available in child protective accommodation in France, awareness of this option, availability of spaces and quality of care remain ongoing challenges. Those eligible for legal transfer to the UK face difficulties accessing this right, with procedural failure, and/or delays. These factors, combined with the lack of long-standing professionals fully qualified to respond to their immediate needs, and to the gaps of the decentralised child protection system often see minors return to the streets, disaffected by the State’s support for them. This leads to further psychological distress and attempts of crossing into the UK illegall y , risking their lives in the process. Several minors have lost their lives trying to cross to the UK.

In March 2019, targeted, consistent and wholescale evictions took place at all of the informal settlements in Calais. Long-anticipated, major evictions in August uprooted any semblance of stability and scattered communities. The eviction was followed by new ef forts to restrict the movement and freedom of refugees. Construction of fences, shut-o ff access to wate r , and a mayoral edict banning refugee s from publi c pla c es r e f lected in crease d marginalisa tio n an d criminalisation of this population.

During the autumn months of 2019, the conditions worsened for people who were displaced both in Calais and Grande Synthe. Furthermore, pressure to get to the UK before the 31 October deadline for Brexit (scheduled for then at that time) contributed to the rise in attempted crossings.

As a result of all challenges faced, a re-structuring of the support system that fundamentally safeguards the staff has become a prime focus, with the direct aim of providin g the most ef fective safegua rding mea s ures fo r displaced unaccompanied minors.

14 Mission and goals

The three objectives for the year 2019 focused broadly on:

• Increase of self-worth and self-care b y c ontinuing t o r espon d to t he ne ed for purpose-driven activities and services in Calais and Grande Synthe.

• Improv ed acce ss to s afegua rdin g an d c hild p r otection for children o n th e m ove throug h e nhan cing data managemen t and da ta prote ction.A signif i can t part o f this w ork was also delivering safeguarding training to other organisations on ground. In addition, further developing links with the department-funded child protective services France terre d’asile (FTDA) in support of better child protection mechanisms.

• Increasing unaccompanied minors’ access to their rights through appropriate information about legal processes. Through ensuring that the unaccompanied minor

understan ds how and where to se ek m edic al or e m ergen cy supp ort, what their rights are if th ey a re ar rest ed b y the p olic e, how t o acc ess state p rotection, and

how they c an get in volv ed in ac tivities. R YS has alw ays suppo rted th e process of identifying unaccom panied min ors who are unnec essa rily liv ing in the da nge rous

infor mal s ettlemen ts in northern Franc e, who have th e potential for sa fe and l egal

tran sfer t o anoth er country, through Family Reunifi cation or thr oug h the D ubs

Amen dm ent Sch e me. Un d er standin g the D u bs pr ocess a llowed R YS to facilitate several unaccompanied minors in reaching the UK legally, the majority of whom came

from the C alais ‘ jungl es’ a s there wa s an a ccessible pathway for this process. Unaccompanied minors living in Grande Synthe historically have had far less opportunity unless they first relocated to another department.

In 201 9, RYS provide d on t he grou nd supp ort to m ore th an 800 unaccompani ed minors at risk (from 7 t o 1 7 years old) in Calais and Gran de Sy nthe, nor thern Fr ance. Wh ile the

number of arriving minors peaked during the summer months, RYS teams met at least 151 new minors in Calais and 206 new minors in Grand e Synt he duri ng the seco nd quarte r of the

project year (May - July). In 2019, RYS supported 92 minors to successfully enter into child

protection services.

15 Activities Part II

Activities

In further support of its objectives, RYS put in place the followin g activitie s in 2019:

• New emergency phone procedure, allowing to provide 24-hour remote support to unaccompanie d minors, sup porting them in e me rgency situa tions inclu ding durin g hou rs of th e night .

• Restructuring of RYS support approach in both Calais and Grande Synthe, by welcoming additional volunteers and social workers.

• In Grande Synthe, RYS began a weekly swimming programme. In Calais, ‘Sunday Funday’ involved unaccompanied minors from all communities playing football and cricket together. In addition, there were art, photography and quiet space activities occasionally held throughout the year. During the activities, RYS provided water, a hot drink and snacks to the unaccompanied minors.

• A skeleton information pack was piloted in Grande Synthe, and due to its success, the team created a comprehensive ‘Minor Information Pack’, containing all the information they need in their own language. This included explaining safe and legal immigration routes to the UK, as well as explaining the rights of children to accessing child protection in France.

• A thorough and comprehensive review of how to maintain RYS’ data according to the General Data Protection Regulation Law (GDPR ) utilising th e most up-to-dat e technolog y availab le to RYS promp t ed the reloca tio n o f all operati on s to softw are with m ore speciali sed secu rity measu res. R YS also suppo rte d partner organisations with the additional security and encryption applications on their work phones.

• RYS provided attestations 4(documents in which RYS wrote the declared age , name and nationality of the minor so as to support them in accessing services in adequacy with their declared age). Each o f these attestations was followed by the elaboration of a document called ‘Information préo ccupante ’ sen t to the Pas-de-Calais or North Department respectively, informing abou t RYS’ knowledge o f an unaccompanied minor a t risk i n th e area . Howeve r, the re we re seve ral issue s that occu rred with RYS providing these attestations as well as limitations around self-declaration as minors. Thus, RYS stopped providing the attestations.

• With the help of Refugee Info Bus (RIB), RYS has designed and partially translated RYS’ contact cards into Sorani, Pashto, andArabic. • RYS has also become more active in taking testimonies from minors in who have experienced police violence, partnering with Human Rights Observers (HRO).

4The attestations were created because of the need to have a document identifying the age of unaccompanied children and minors especially during police evictions or any other interaction with the authorities. These documents were unofficial and served as an unofficial attestation for the sole purpose of stating the age of any minor that self-identified as such but who was unrecognised as a minor by the State. However, RYS stopped providing the attestations in 2020. The following reasons led to this decision: many of the attestations were traded on the black market, traded between minors or adults, and were consistently questioned by adults from the different communities, which ultimately put children and minors at 16 more risk. Activities

• Further support for the mental and physical welfare of the minors in coping with their high stress and the unstable environment was included by welcoming a psychosocial worker in collaboration with a professor of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and World Awareness for Children in Trauma (WACIT). A self-harm protocol to support the psychological needs of unaccompanied minors who are displaced and homeless was developed. In addition, the onset of winter meant worsening living conditions and a a rise in physical and mental health concerns among minors.

• RYS focused on encouraging unaccompanied minors to enter child protection in France. Throughout, RYS also partnered with the associations Legal Shelter (La Cabane Juridique) in France and Safe Passage in France and UK to support unaccompanied children applying for the family reunification process.

• RYS included language learning to develop protective safety mechanisms that empower children to better protect themselves while living in a volatile situation. RYS’ psychoeducation programme continued to form a central part of the outreach in Grande Synthe and Calais throughout 2019.

• RYS presented and participated a t the Missing Childre n Europ e Conference in Jun e focusin g o n how RYS can advocate for the implementation o f measure s t o fin d an d prote ct missin g childre n in France. RYS team members were also present for the Missing Children Europe Interact Training in Brussels, 2-3 December 2019.

• RYS supported the self-declared unaccompanied minors as such to appeal their age assessments when declared as ‘non-minors’ by the State, so as to access their rights as minors.

• Through cross-organisational collaboration with ‘Defenseurs des Droits’ and Legal Shelter (La Caban e Juridique), RYS challenged the illega l detention of minors who were unable to prove they were unde r 18. In 2019, R YS has successfully supported 5 minors throughout their appea l process. Through the work of RYS’ social workers, three minors have been recognised by the State as children, giving them immediate access t o shelte r, protection and education.

• RYS’ social workers attended training courses organised by The National School of Youth Judicial Protection (ENPJJ), titled ‘Enfants Victimes de Traite: Mieux repérer pour agir et protéger’ (Trafficked Children: Better support to act and protect). Training about family reunification under the Dublin III Regulation was also provided by Safe Passage.

• RYS’ social workers attended a mental health training course organised by the Orspere-Samdarra Observatory, a unique collaboration with Le Vinatier Hospital’s research and resource center whose programming focuses on the links between mental health issues and social issues.

17 Activities

Fridays in Grande Synthe: swimming lessons, access to showers and a skate park

Sport as a vehicle for inclusion and building social systems of support for unaccompanied minors was evident in

every sporting outreach session RYS undertook. Promoting values of communication, togetherness, youth

leadership and empowerment or simply getting behind a shared goal.

S wimming lessons were a weekly activity organis ed by RYS that allowed minors to access a p oo l in the loca l

c ommunity as well as to swim, play in a local skat epark and use showers. Over 150 adolescents and minors in

Grande Synthe enjoyed trips to the swimming pool on Fridays.

Each minor was given a bag with a towel an d toiletries, so the activity doubled as an opportunity to use the showers. To date, over 120 unaccompanie d minors have enjoyed an afternoon at the pool.

These experiences have had a profound effect on their mental health and building

connections of support amongst their community. Often, unaccompanied minors arrive not knowing anyone. Through such activities, they were able to spend

time with minors of similar age, background and interests. By the end of the day, RYS would often see the minors leaving together, chatting and forming friendships

that could keep them safer.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

19 Activities

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

By the end of the day, RYS would often see the minors leaving together, chatting and forming friendships.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

19 Activities

Sunday Funday in Calais: football, cricket, volleyball, tennis and yoga

Recognising the need for physical stimulation and the physical and mental health benefits to exercise, RYS started weekly community football, cricket matches and volleyball. With an average attendance of 30 players every week, RYS led the delivery of Sunday Funday activities for over a year.

During the summer months of 2019 , RYS also include d yog a classes an d occassional y tenni s. The Sunday Funday activities were organised specifically for all children that RYS supports from the informal settlements in Calais. They were usually takin g place in accessibl e location s wi th RYS staff prov idin g transportation to the minors with an RYS v ehicle.

The Sunday Funday acted as a highl y successful platform for al l comm unities to come toge the r, sha re time away from their living spaces and enjo y activit ies tha t are pla yed by peopl e al l over the wo rld . A key right of a chi ld is the ri gh t to play. RYS ai med at crea ting space an d activity t ha t s uppo rted children to access ph ysical activity while also engag ing the adult mem bers of the commun ity tha t fostered trust, communication, and connection within the di fferent na tionalities an d al so wi th RYS’ tea m mem bers.

Football and cricket on a Sunday o ffered young people the chance to have some time during their week that was seen as ‘normal’. Both played by millions of children worldwide, a football or a cricket match on a Sunday was a chance to play together, to share time together and to express themselves. In providing football boots and cricket equipment, full kit, water and tea, and an experienced referee, RYS was able to create an environment that took the occasion seriously to show the young people that RYS wanted to respect their right to play and also provided the opportunity to them to gather and play in a team. With an average of 10

different nationalities represented, the afternoon promoted unity as a body of players and not on individual nationalities.

R YS w anted to de velop a con sisten t ope n s pa ce tha t promoted unity, play , recreation and relaxation for all minors from each community.

W ith the be st inter e st s o f th e chil d in RYS’ a pp roa c h , b y o ff e rin g t hi s to ev ery on e on ce a w eek f or a year and th r oughout winter, it became a consistent outlet for many.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

20 Activities

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service RYS wanted to develop a consistent open spac e that promoted unity, play, recreation and relaxation for all minors from each community.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

21 Activities

Photography workshops in Calais and Grande Synthe

Photography can be fun, expressive and creative as an activity. It can also serve as a medium to build positive memories for children in stressful situations. One of RYS’ past activities in 2019, was a photography workshop for the unaccompanied minors RYS supports in northern France. It began in January 2019 and continued until July 2019. The workshops provided various opportunities for the minors to work together, build friendships, discover about each others’ similar interests, find new passions and express their creative side. On average, 4 minors participated per workshop.

I n January 2019, RYS began an inspiring photography initiative , the launch o f which wa s supporte d b y a n i ndependent professional photographer Giovanna Del Sarto, who came fo r three days to help RYS se t it up . Th e g oal was to help unaccompanied minors to bette r understand and learn abou t photography . Giovann a cam e a s a volunteer with RYS while working on her own projec t called ‘A Polaroid fo r a Refugee 5 ’. Wit h he r experienc e and knowledge, Giovanna helped RYS to develop weekly photography workshop s fo r th e unaccompanie d minors that RYS supports in both Calais and Grande Synthe , teaching them abou t th e differen t technique s and styles of photography. Upon agreement , and through following RYS ’ sp ecifi c safeguardin g policies , some pictures from the first days of the workshop were also included in her ‘A Polaroid for a Refugee’ project.

At the start of each workshop, RYS presented some theoretical background around photography. It was done in order to introduce the minors to the different styles that they could use while taking the pictures, including: portrait, details and landscape. After the presentations, RYS took the minors to various sites around Calais and Grande Synthe. In Calais, RYS managed to organise for the unaccompanied minors to take pictures around parks, the famous performance theatre La Citadelle de Calais and the beach. Each activity lasted one and a half hours. The minors took all photos with phones provided by RYS. Under the RYS’ supervision, as well as encouragement, guidance and support, the minors showed great passion and dedication to the activity. The goal was to create a positive and creative outlet to the stress that the unaccompanied minors consistently experience while living in the ‘jungles’. Moreover, these workshops allowed minors to learn, play and be part of a group activity, all of which are fundamental to any child’s upbringing.

The materials provided during each workshop included: phones, a portable printer for printing the photographs, an Instax mini film, a USB adapter cable (one for Iphone, one for android smartphones) and USB stick.

The photography workshop was a great opportunity to take the minors out of the ‘jungle ’ so they can learn an d foster their creativity in hopes of a more positive memory of time spent in Calais or Grande Synthe. It was a good way for them to learn new skills which they can hopefully transfer with them, wherever they will be in the future.

Furthermore, the workshop has proven to be a successful positive coping mechanism that gave them the opportunity to be creative and express themselves even without RYS’ supervision; it empowered them and improved their self-worth. Last but not least, the workshop was the best environment for the minors to make new friends and strengthen their protective networks in the informal settlements.

More information can be found at the official website for ‘A Polaroid for a Refugee’: http://www.apfar.org/?fbclid=IwAR0E9bW9U_0HBIOew-anGgCzSo80ndwds9pemj33n5MqFnL469H 23 pJLrDjmM Activities

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

23 Activities

Moreover, these workshops allowed minors to learn, play and be part of a group activity, all of which are fundamental to any child’s upbringing.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

24 Activities

Art and quiet space

Art can be a powerful tool for self-developmen t and persona l expression , in addition to the numer ou s benefits of using art as a supportive technique . Whether it’s through crafts, painting or modelling dough , such activities can provide a pla tform to en courage c hildren to r ealise thei r ow n po tential.

Art sessions for the unaccompanied minors in Calais and Grande Synthe were regularly organised since October 2018 and ran throughout 2019, and the start of 2020. During RYS’ visits to the informal settlements, RYS always brought colouring books and pens, paper and printed pictures of animals or figures to inspire the ones unsure of what to paint.

P ainting and drawing have been very successful, as it allowed minors to concentrate on these creati ve tasks and forget their stressful situation for a little while. Drawing, in particular, allowed minors to express their situation through sketches of the informal settlements , lorr ies, polic e, barb ed wire s, fences and tents. Drawing was a helpful tool to some to release negative emotions, stress but also express their dreams to reunite with their families. Another activity, which had similar impact, was creating figures from a modelling dough.The minors were able to make various figures showing either their experiences or creative abilities. Some made lorries, while others focused on switching off from their situation and modelled animals.

RYS’ art activities continued to provide a platform to encourage minors on the move in Calais an d Grand e Synthe to realise their own potential, release stress in a positive manner, find a new hobby and discover an interesting outlet to their emotions and experiences.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

25 Activities

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

26 Activities

Barber shop

Since October 2018, RYS ha s bee n organisin g the so-calle d ‘Barbe r shop’ . It ha s bee n on e of the most successful activities as it provi de s (up to thi s da te) the unaccom panie d minors to take care of themsel ves despite the degrading cond ition s they live in. Add itionally, this activity serves to regain some otherwise lo st dignity an d brightens up the da ily life in the informal settlem ents. It al so serves as a too l of empowe rm ent, whi ch makes it amongst the most impo rtan t activit ies the tea m r uns. Du ring the ba rber shop, RYS team mem be rs carried with the m a bag of materials, which in clude d a hai r clippe r wi th charge r and doubl e ba ttery, a smal l cleanin g brush, na il clipp ers, combs, ha ir gel, hair oil, bod y/face/ han d cream, perfume, scissors, bar ber neck brush, razors, threa d, mirror, spray bottle, di sinfect an t, glo ves, rubbish bag s, an ap ron, a chai r an d a ben ch/ table. Once there, RYS gave shaves an d ha ircuts, high ly sought by all minors and adults alike in the settlements.

R YS’ bar ber shop managed t o br ing a l ittle s e nse of norm alit y to the peop le l iv i ng in the informal settlemen ts, created a commu n al space and a s pecial t ime for soci alising w ith in t heir comm uniti es ul timate ly res ulting in mak ing new connec tions and friends.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service R YS’ barber shop mana ged to brin g a little sense of no rm ality to the peo pl e liv ing in the informal settlements. Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

27 Activities

Knitting and stitching

Pursuing a craft can help to put more mental distance between people on the move and their tra uma, while also lightening their abilities, knowledge and self-expression.

In 2019, RYS decided to organise consecutive workshops in knitting and stitching fo r unaccompanied minors living in the informal settlements in Calais and Grande Synthe . This included making bracelet s, knitting small items such as rings and creating necklaces with materials provided by RYS staff on the ground.

The workshops initially began with the idea to teach special techniques to the unaccompanied minors.However, they transformed into a mutual knowledge exchange. Some of the minors showed impressive skills and were also able to show others how to knit bracelets, create a necklace or rings. This activity was particularly enjoyed and remembered by man y. Bracelets turned out to be amongst the very few items that the minors could keep after consistently losing their items during the daily evictions they are experiencing.

The activity was very helpful to form bonds with other minors from their communities, learn new techniques or transfer old knowledge into an enjoyable activity as well as lessen the focus on the derogatory conditions that they live in.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

28 Activities

Puzzles, sudoku, crosswords

Provin g play-bas ed learnin g t o minor s wh o hav e su ffer ed vario us trauma tic experien ces and contin ue li ving in a critica l environme n t ca n hel p mitigat e th e detriment al, long-t e rm effec t s of displacem en t and tr auma. Bein g displace d du e to conflict or o ther disaste rs can have a devastati ng effe ct o n a child’s developmen t, and cause long-lasti ng effec ts o n thei r heal th an d futur e potential.

Sinc e Octob er 2018, RYS ha s bee n delive rin g educat io n activit i es thro u gh game s to the unaccompan ied minor s in northern Franc e . Al l o f th e unaccompani e d minor s arrivi ng in Calai s or Gra nde Synth e ar e of schoo l age but ou t o f schoo l due to thei r circumstances. Th ey hav e no opportunit ies to ge t an educati on, w hich can affe ct th em fo r the res t o f thei r lives.

One of the teachin g appr oache s th a t R Y S t oo k w a s to prov ide educa tion thr o ugh puzz les , sudo k u or crosswo rd puzzles. These a ctivitie s a r e enjoye d b y ma ny a n d a t the sam e t im e can te ach valu able informa tion t o unaccompan ied mino rs i n a f un way.

Maki ng a puzzle , lookin g u p t he rig h t wo r d fo r a cr osswo rd puz z le or focu s ing on solv in g a sudok u create d a pea ceful, consci ous learning env iro nmen t fo r t h e minor s. T he gam es tra ine d the min d s of the mi nors in to analyt ica l t hinki ng , focu se d th e i r at tentio n o n a f un acti v ity a nd ga ve th e m th e opportun ity to learn s ome thing new wit h eac h wo rkshop . Th is activi ty hon ed problem-sol v ing skill s. L ast b ut no t leas t , i t help e d them bon d wi th o n e an ot h er a nd de vel op supp ort mechan ism s thr o ugh the b uilt friendships.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

29 Activities

Lego

Playin g is fundamenta l for children ’s healthy development . Engagin g vulnerab le childre n with play-bas ed activitie s promote s learning, can reduce stress and anxiet y levels associate d with trauma . It can ultimate ly g ive a bette r path forward.

Play can also be useful to increas e self-confidence . Through givin g minor s th e opportuni ty to expre ss themselves in a creative way it can lead to building self-esteem and nurture creative abilities.

In December 2018, RY S beg a n organisin g lego-base d workshop s and acti v iti e s wi th ea c h v is i t to the f ield . The star t of t he init i a tive wa s facil itate d b y RYS’ Di recto r Cam i ll a Go rdo n , wh o wan t ed to pr ovide an o ppo rt unity to th e unac compani ed mi nors in th e cam ps to ex pre ss wha t ‘ho me ’ me ans to t hem through lego con s tru c tion . He r ro l e wa s ke y in setti ng up th is act iv ity, as sh e is an exper ienc e d leg o- facil itator and organise s ‘st orytel ling wor ksh op s t hr ough lego’ fo r yo ung min ors. Initia lly , the work shop s we re mean t t o be s tructure d b ut it was cl ea r fr om ea rl y o n th at ma n y of t he mi nors have n ot encoun ter ed leg o before . Thi s, ther ef ore, me ant t hat the sess ions woul d be delive re d i n a di fferent way b y fo cus ing mor e on pla y and c rea tive e xpres sion, r ath e r than fol lowi n g a form a l stru ct ure . This exper ienc e w as fu rthe r re fle cte d on i n a blo g po st, publi she d b y Cam illa G or don in A pri l 2019, which can be found here.

RYS conducted the activity by providing various lego blocks to the minors explaining what lego is and the many diff erent shap es it takes. Essentially the workshops were an interest ing way to provide a voice to the minor s. Whi le playing with the lego, many mino rs bui lt lorries, fences or cars expressing the ir desire to cross over to the UK. Others focused on maki ng houses all with rooftops, which is qui te unusual when it comes to building a house from le go as most focus on the insi de of the buildi ng or the home. It was very common to incl ude security guards to show that the ir lego places are protected. An interesting examp le was from one boy who bui lt a hospit al wi th many colours to show being inclusive, healthy, happy and helping others. Later, it was cle ar th at the boy had had a difficu lt experience in a hospital, and so had expressed how he envisioned it should be in stead.

This activity ran throughout the entire year of 2019 and is planned to continue through 2020. Wha t stands out is how much these minors are in nee d of home, family, security and protection. The leg o activities provide the minors with ways to create, express themselves, learn and enable motivation .

It also creates a sense of community and Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service belonging.

30 Activities

What stands out is how much these minors are in

need of home, family, security and protection.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

31 Activities

English language classes

One of the most important fundamental rights of every child is the right to education. The barriers th at prevent unaccompanied minors arriving in northern France from accessing learning are numerous. Lack of education can cause significant consequences to a child’s developme nt and ultimate ly crea te a lo st generation. While education imports practical skills, it also raises spiri ts and poin ts the way to a life of self-sufficiency. Language learning in particular can help the adapting process in a new environme nt, teach a vitally important skill to survive in a new country but also restore a sense of purpose, dignity and hope for the future.

RYS’ Engl ish language classes began in Octob e r 2018 and continu e d througho u t 2019 . The y we re h eld by RYS in collabor ation with the Schoo l Bus P roject , bot h o f whic h organis e d profession al Engl is h tea chers to come to the differe nt site s an d t each th e unaccompanie d minors.

I n 20 19, a n educati on outr each speciali st joined RYS an d beg an t o ho ld class es mos t afterno on s , coveri ng comm unication skills as we ll a s a broa d ran g e of subje cts includ ing ethi c s, clima te chan g e , job appl ication s, an d ment al heal th. On aver a ge, 10-2 0 studen ts atten de d the classe s, amo ng whi c h wer e re gul a r and new student s, from beginn er to advanced , an d of all di ffer ent educat ion backgrounds.

Throughout many of these lessons, RYS also brought various books to the field, which supported the learning process of the English language for many of the unaccompanied mino rs livi ng in the inform al settlements. Some of the minors showed great improvements in English after attending several classes, others showed further curiosity to know more about other subjects.

The education activities produced encouraging changes in the minors’ knowledge but also mental health. The activity motivated learning, brought new skills and provided some hope for the future for the unaccompanied minors in northern France.

Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service Photo credit: Refugee Youth Service

32 Media Coverage and advocacy Part III

Media coverage and advocacy

As part of its advocacy efforts, RYS remained committed to building a stronger relationship with the French child protection services (FTDA) for ensuring better safeguarding and child protection of all unaccompanied minors. In 2019, RYS’ focus was also on effective and consistent advocacy efforts both in the UK and France. Media coverage has increased in northern France, focusing largely on the number of crosses

to the UK by boat and lorry. RYS has used this coverage as part of its advocacy efforts and campaigning for a new legal pathway for unaccompanied minors to travel to the UK.

British media’s visits to Calais and Grande Synthe

SRY hosted journalist May Bulman from The Independent who was investigating the UK government’s failure to transfer unaccompanied m inors to the UK under the Dubs transfer scheme. May Bulman is a social affairs correspondent at The Independent . She has won the Anti-Slavery Day award for best news piece in both 2017 and 2019 and has come as a runner-up for investigative journalism in the Drum Onli ne Med ia Awards for her refugee coverage in 2017. She has a particular interest in migratio n, youth justice and homelessness. Her article ‘Calais jungle child refugee granted right to join au nt in the UK after two years languishing in France’ highlighted the delays of the UK Home Office in the transfer process as we ll as the consequences for unaccompanied minors stranded in northern France.

RYS also hosted Katy Fallon, who is a freelance journalist covering migration and gend er pol itics, who has spent extensive time learning about conditions in the field and the challenges unaccom pani ed minors in northern France face. Her article for The Independent, titled ‘Britain promised to take 3,000 refug ee children. So far it’s taken 220’ was seen as an effort to form the first of several visits pushi ng the British government to act no reope ning legal pathways for unaccompanied minors lo oking to r eun ite with the ir fam ilies in the UK.

Her article for Al Jaz eera, titled ‘Being smuggled in a truck can be deadl y. So why do peopl e do it?’ highli ghted on the per ilou s and leng thy jou rne ys tha t ref ugees an d mig rants ex pe rience, an d refle cted on reasons why many risk their lives to cross the Channel from Calais or Dunkirk to the UK. Lost in Europe’s visit to Calais and Grande Synthe

In December 2019, a group of research journalists from a Dutch med ia organisation call ed Small Stream Media/VersPers contacted RYS asking for a possibility to visit the site and learn about RYS’ work.

The journalists worked on a crossborder journalistic investigatio n proje ct funde d by Nationa l Geographic called Lost in Europe, focus ing on the theme of unaccompanie d minors tha t have gon e missin g on ce they enter Europe. Their project began in 2018 with the aim to hel p colle ct an d recover the stories of miss ing unaccompanied minors. The initiative tries to depict all places tha t unaccompanie d minors pass on their way through Europe, which can also be the places to tell their story. Sadl y, many of the se places we re al so the locations where children went missing . The Lost in Europ e team comprises investigative journalists from the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Italy, who are collaboratin g to fin d ou t wha t has happene d to the disappeared children in Europe.

34 Media Coverage and advocacy

RYS met with Lost in Europ e, who visited bo th Calais a nd Gr ande Synthe. RYS explained the context in which the organisation works as wel l as its wo rk wi th unaccompanie d mino rs. With the support of RYS, Lost in Europe were able to take pictures of the sites, mee t with some of the mino rs while introducing their project, and conduct some interviews with some of the minors at Secours Catholique.

The pictures that the journalists took of the sites were used for both Lost in Europ e an d Nationa l Geographic. In addition , graphic journalist Da n Arche r, wh o uses comics to tel l storie s tha t c oul d no t be tol d using traditional equipment. Dan Archer published a storytelling elemen t on hi s website archcomix.com regardin g Lost in Europe’s visit to the Calai s sites. Hi s graph ics are featured in m edi a ou tlets an d exhibi tio n spa ces across Europe.

RYS on the Homesick podcast

In May 2019, the podcast Homesick, which shares information abou t the refugee crisis from those working in Ca lais, in terviewed RYS’s Pr oject M anager and created an episode abou t RYS’ work an d impact on unaccompanied minors in Calais. The podcast itself is dedicated to peopl e wh o have ha d to fle e thei r home due to war, persecution or natural disaster. Each epis ode aims at spr eadin g awa reness, k indness an d compassion.

The episode with RYS’ Project Manage r shares some of the heartbreakin g truths tha t youn g peopl e on the move in Calais face. The podcast episode touche s upo n the seriou s gap s in educatio n an d the ability to safely develop meaningful relationships tha t recur for these mino rs du e to thei r stressful life circumstances. The episode also talks about RYS’ activit ies on the groun d as a uni fie r whil e discuss in g wa ys for better advocacy.

British Home Office’ s visit Representatives from the British Ho me Office/ British Liai son Office visited multipl e sites in Cala is an d Grande Synthe, as well as two Mem be rs of Parl ia ment: Ant hon y Hoo k an d Cr ai g McQ uinel y. T hese we re pa rt of RYS’ ad vocacy measures ai med at r eop ening the Dub s tran sfer sc heme of tr ansferrin g una ccomp anie d minors to the UK and improv ing the fam ily reunificatio n process.

Collaboration with department-funded child protective services team France terre d’asile (FTDA)

oSimi lar t previous years, in 2019, RYS’ work continued to focus on facilitatin g access to chil d protectio n services, made possible via a trusting relationship built with unaccompanie d minors. The focus of RYS’ outreach continues to also center on developing the children’s self-worth, buildin g thei r protective mechanisms, and strengthening appropriate networks of support. In 2019 , RYS focused its efforts pa rtially on dev eloping new and more effective ways of wo rking toge ther with and along side the depa rtment-f unde d child protective services team (FTDA) on the gr ound . The workin g relation ship betwee n the two de velope d further and occasional meetings to discuss better ways of collaborating between FTDA and RYS were organised together with the Unprotected Unaccompanied Children Working Group (UUCWG).

35 Media Coverage and Advocacy

Unprotected unaccompanied children working group

RYS is part of the so-called Unprotected Unaccompanied Children Working Group (UUCWG). This group was effective until February 2019 and suspended for some months. As part of the RYS handover process to yet identify a French partner, this working group was relaunched last December 2019 and re-defined within two sub-groups (in Calais and in Grande Synthe), following first outcomes of an ongoing needs assessment on the situation of unprotected unaccompanied children in both locations. The purpose of organising consistent meetings between UUCWG members was necessary to jointly develop a multidisciplinary approach towards the needs of UAM in Calais and Grande Synthe with the perspective of extending those efforts along the French-UK border as well as to include a wider child protection approach to all children unprotected in this area as a longer term goal.

In Calais, the jointly defined objectives by the participants (RefugeeYouth Service, RYS handover process facilitator, Legal shelter, Utopia 56, researcher from CNRS and Safe Passage) are...

• Coordinate field work (harmonised information provision, referral processes…) and maintain dialogue with the department and its operator (FTDA)

• Plan joint actions and advocacy strategy/actions for the State to respond to its obligation in line with national legal framework and the UNCRC.

• Co-build adapted and rights based solutions/propositions to the situation of unprotected unaccompanied children taking into consideration the available and/or reachable resources.

Other organisations are part of the UUCWG Calais mailing list and are meant to participate on ad-hoc basis when the set agenda corresponds to their field of work and/or when they consider being of added value to the working session (Secours Catholique, Refugee Rights Europe, MDM, French Red Cross, PSM and pending Planning Familial).

In Grande Synthe, the UUCWG was launched at a later stage (February 2020). The overall objectives are similar to the one from Calais. Nevertheless, the first joint actions plan were to respond to the lack of standard operating procedures in emergency situations (Children being victims of physical violence; children suspected to be victims of sexual exploitation and/or abuse; children showing signs of self mutilation…) as well as urgent trainings on formal reporting when meeting a child in danger for all field actors, in the absence of RYS or an equivalent on the ground.

The participation of actors with different expertise and working in both Calais and Grande Synthe allowed for the Grande Synthe UUCWC to complement the work initiated in Calais and work on protocols which could be applicable to both territories. Those actors are: French Red Cross, MDM, PSM and the focal point for RYS handover process with the plan to include when feasible Planning Familial. Access to child protection mechanisms in Grande Synthe deferring from those in Calais also requires a different strategic approach in what refers to coordination with authorities and more general advocacy strategy.

In 2019, RYS was consistently present in the UAM Group meetings in Calais and once during the UAM meeting in Grande Synthe

36 Concluding remarks

The France- UK border arrangements and increa sed security measures ha ve further diminis hed the ability for people on the move to reach the UK safely. Moreover, the most vulnerable - among which are unaccompan ied mino rs, continu e to ta ke dangerous journeys in orde r to cross the Channe l from F ran ce to t he UK. Mea nwh ile, the dete rioratin g living condi tions in northern France, along side the f requent evic tions and fen ce bu ilding, po lice violence and aggression towards displaced una ccompanied minors, continue t o foster a clima te wh ich deters them from wan tin g to s tay in F r ance. It is im po rtant to no te that for unaccom panied mino rs wh o try t o rea ch the UK, France is the s afest immediately acce ssible option for see king prot ec tion in the majo rity of cases. The refore , safe an d l egal pathways mu st be en sured be twee n the UK and Fran ce, e ve n more so during the un certain times of Brexit.

The protracted humanitarian situation faced by unaccompanied minors stuck at the French-UK

border has increased the need of expanding RYS’ activities and advocacy work throughout the years.

In its future work, RYS will continue to advocate for the improved access to safeguarding and child

protection mechanisms for unaccompanied minors arriving in northern France while ensurin g the y have access to their rights through appropriate information. RYS is also looking forward to passing on its experiences and lessons learnt from those years spent in Calais and Grande Synthe to a French partner so to jointly ensure that children's rights are advocated for and hopefully finally enforced.

37 Bibliography Bibliography

Bulman, May (2019, January 23). Calais Jungle child refugee granted right to join aunt in UK after two years languishing in France. Retrieved vfrom: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/calais-child-refugee-home-office-jungle-aunt-uk-immigration- france-a8742666.html

CCCM Cluster, UNHCR (2017, August 28). CCCM Guidance on definitions for camps. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb. int/files/resources/cccm_guidance_in_english_and_arabic.pdf

Fallon, Katy (2019, September 1). Britain promised to take 3,000 refugee children. So far it’s taken 220. Retrieved from: https://www. independent.co.uk/independentpremium/long-reads/alan-kurdi-anniversary-dubs-amendment-calais-refugees-a9083931.html

Fallon, Katy (2019, November 26). Being smuggled in a truck can be deadly. So why do people do it?. Retrieved from: https://www. aljazeera.com/indepth/features/smuggled-truck-deadly-people-191125145511847.html

French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (2020). France’s action for children’s rights. Retrieved from: https://www.diplomatie.gouv. fr/en/french-foreign-policy/human-rights/children-s-rights/

Gordon, Camilla (2019, April 25). What makes a house home?. Retrieved from: https://www.camillagordon.co.uk/blog/what-makes-a- house-a-home

Human Rights Watch (2017, July 26). Like living in hell. Retrieved from: https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/07/26/living-hell/police-abuses- against-child-and-adult-migrants-calais

Légifrance, Le Service Public du la Diffusion du Droit (2020, May 7). Code de l’action sociale et des familles. Retrieved from: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006074069&dateTexte=vig

Medecins sans Frontieres (2019, July). Les mineurs non accompagnes, symbole d’une politique maltraitante. Retrieved from: https:// www.msf.fr/sites/default/files/2019-09/201909%20-%20Rapport-Mission-France%20MSF.pdf

Refugee Youth Service (2017, February). Somebody’s child: resilience against the odds in the Calais ‘Jungle’. Retrieved from: https:// drive.google.com/file/d/1tdgtO5s9MTPtDWQg6mhncSl1Wt3aY6ep/view

Refugee Rights Europe (2017, October 22). Twelve months on. Retrieved from: https://refugee-rights.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ RRE_TwelveMonthsOn.pdf

Refugee Rights Europe (2017, April 9). Six months on. Retrieved from: https://refugee-rights.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/RRE_ SixMonthsOn.pdf

The UN Refugee Agency Geneva (1997, February). Guidelines on policies and procedures in dealing with unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Retrieved from: https://www.unhcr.org/3d4f91cf4.pdf

The UN Refugee Agency (2016, February 5). UNHCR concerned about conditions in Calais and Dunkerque. Retrieved from: https://www. unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/2/56b4ac916/unhcr-concerned-conditions-calais-dunkerque.html

UNICEF France, French National Committee for UNICEF (2016, June). Neither safe nor sound: unaccompanied children on the coastline of the English Channel and the North Sea. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/media/files/Unicef_NeitherSafeNorSound_(003).pdf

UNICEF (2006, May). Child Protection Information Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/protection/files/What_is_Child_ Protection.pdf

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (1990, September 2). Convention on the rights of the child. Retrieved from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

UK Home Office (2018, July 6). Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 Leave. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/section-67-of-the-immigration-act-2016-leave

Archer, Dan. Archcomix official website: http://www.archcomix.com/

Del Saltro, Giovanna (2018). A Polaroid for a Refugee - official website: http://www.apfar.org/?fbclid=IwAR0E9bW9U_0HBIOew-anGgCz So80ndwds9pemj33n5MqFnL469HpJLrDjmM

Homesick - a podcast about refugees. Retrieved from: https://open.spotify.com/show/0z2DgpfEqqvCzDB4vI3nWg Lost in Europe. Official website: https://lostineurope.org/

Performers Without Borders (2020). Official website: https://www.pwb.ngo/about-pwb/

38 Collaborations

Collaborations in 2019

A Polaroid for a Refugee National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Art Refuge PSM Carrefour des solidarités Performers Without Borders CIMADE

Collective Aid Planning Familial

Project Play Comic Relief

Refugee Resilience Collective

Croix Rouge Francaise/ French Red Cross Refugee Community Kitchen

Help Refugees/ Choose love Refugee Rights Europe

Infobus Safe Passage (UK and France) INFOMIE

L’auberge des Migrants Secours Catholique

UNICEF Legal shelter Utopia56

Lost in Europe Women’s Centre Dunkirk

Woodyard Médecins du Monde

Missing Children Europe

39 Credits

Written by Petya Tsekova Editing & review by Celine Gagne, Claudia Tomarchio and Jonathan Willis Graphic design & illustration by William Francis Further contributions by James Aldred and Camilla Gordon

Published by Refugee Youth Service June 2020