If you’d like to help in the refugee crisis, you can:
1. Donate food and other goods for migrants in Calais
The situation on the ground is constantly changing, so it’s best to double-check what’s needed. Whatever you’re giving, please sort and label your donations, by type, gender and size. At the time of writing, there seemed to be an urgent need for firewood, food and shelter. Calais People to People Solidarity are an older group. Calaid and Calais Action are more recently-formed aid groups. All seem to be operating mainly on Facebook.
Updates from Calaid: www.tinyurl.com/peacenews1715
2. Go to Calais yourself
All the groups are clear that you need to contact a local group before you head out to Calais, especially if you are delivering aid. There is a need for volunteers in Calais, especially people with practical skills.
There is a good guidance here (including what French law insists you have in your vehicle):
www.tinyurl.com/peacenews1717
www.tinyurl.com/peacenews1712
3. House an asylum-seeker in your home
There are organisations around the UK (from Glasgow to Swansea to Brighton to Hull, and points in between) helping to house destitute and homeless asylum-seekers. They’re mostly linked in the
No Accommodation Network: www.naccom.org.uk
Positive Action in Housing: www.paih.org/host-a-refugee
New group, Room for Refugees: www.refugeeswelcome.uk
4. Donate money
To groups like CARAG (see opposite page). To NGOs like Medicins Sans Frontieres (who rescued 1,658 people in the Med on one day in September), or to groups like Migrant Offshore Aid Station (who run independent rescue boats):
www.tinyurl.com/MSFboats
www.moas.eu