Tucked away in a quiet suburb of Calais, two massive, abandoned warehouses—one yellow, one orange—have become an overcrowded shelter for around 1,500 migrants.
These buildings, stretching as long as a football field, are not just a temporary stop for those seeking a better future but a place of unimaginable hardship.
The living conditions are dire. The air is thick with the stench of urine, as hundreds of men share only a few toilets.
Inside, the migrants, mostly from Sudan, are packed into flimsy tents that barely protect them from the cold.
Many are sick, suffering from diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and HIV, yet they receive no medical help from French authorities.
Surviving on Hope and Handouts
Each day at 1 p.m., a white van pulls up, handing out rice and chicken to the hundreds who line up for food donated by refugee charities.
It is their only reliable source of sustenance.
But for most, food is secondary to their ultimate goal: reaching the UK.
Many of these migrants arrived in Italy after making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya.
However, Italy has been tightening its borders under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has vowed to reject anyone entering illegally by boat.
With nowhere else to turn, these migrants now see Britain as their last hope.
A Place of Worship in the Chaos
Amidst the chaos of the warehouse, there is one area of calm: a small prayer space with copies of the Koran neatly stacked beside an Arabic-style rug.
Here, the men gather each Friday to pray, finding solace in their faith even as they endure extreme hardship.
Few locals in Calais even know this place exists.
No one had taken photos inside—until now.
When we visited, we were only granted entry after offering cigarettes and chocolate bars to some of the men.
Europe Turns Its Back While the UK Remains a Beacon
The migrant crisis is not unique to France.
Across Europe, countries that once welcomed asylum seekers are now shutting their doors.
Germany and Sweden, which embraced refugees a decade ago, have grown increasingly resistant.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Donald Trump’s administration has resumed deporting undocumented migrants to Latin America.
But in Britain, the approach has been different.
Keir Starmer’s government recently scrapped a key deterrent policy that would have sent asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Since Labour took power last summer, over 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel, with the UK government setting aside more than £500 million to support newcomers over the next decade.
Migrants Share Their Stories of Desperation
Along the coast in Dunkirk, 17-year-old Afghan migrant Albert told me his story.
He had lived in Sweden for three months before being ordered to leave.
“Stockholm refused me asylum,” he explained in fluent English.
“I had nowhere else to go but here. Britain is my only chance.”
I also learned about a young man from Kurdistan who spent three years in Germany before being deported. Now, he waits in northern France, desperate to find a way across the Channel.
His friend shared his shock at the situation: “He thought he was settled, that he had built a life.
But Europe turned its back on him.”
A Risky Journey for a Better Future
Back at the warehouse in Calais, 26-year-old Sudanese migrant Hamza Ibrahem spoke openly. “There are 1,500 of us here, almost all from Sudan and South Sudan.
We came through Libya and Italy, but when Italy rejected us, we had nowhere else to go. Britain is our last and only hope.”
His friend, Ismail Mohammed, 27, had an even tougher journey.
After reaching Italy from Libya two years ago, he was deported back and thrown in jail.
He managed to escape and make his way to France. “The Italians didn’t want me. I have no friends or family in Europe,” he said.
“I have tried to jump on lorries to England six times. If I had the money, I would buy a place on a boat.
My only hope now is to reach London, where I have a cousin.”
Holding Onto Dreams Despite the Hardships
Despite his dire situation, Ismail remains hopeful.
“My family doesn’t know how bad things are here. I don’t want to worry them.
But when I get to England and have a room in a hotel, then I will tell them the truth.
I want to study computer engineering in the UK,” he said.
For now, he and thousands of others spend their days plotting their next move, desperate to cross the 21 miles of sea that separate them from the White Cliffs of Dover.
Thrown out by a once-welcoming Europe, they are counting on Britain to be their final refuge.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!
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