Daily Politics from the New Statesman On the ground in the new Calais Jungle
Oct 10, 2025
Miles Ellingham, a journalist specializing in migrant issues, and Jack Jeffrey, a seasoned reporter with conflict zone experience, dive deep into the new Calais Jungle. They discuss the harsh realities of migrant camps, including the zero fixation policy that keeps people in flux. Hear personal stories like that of a mother named Hope, and the trauma faced by young migrants from war-torn regions. They expose the complexities of smuggling routes, the financial burdens of crossing, and the moral failures within policy responses, advocating for a more humane approach.
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Entrenched Criminality And Diverse Demographics
- Jack Jeffrey found the criminality in the new camps strikingly entrenched and different from other crises he covered.
- He described the camps as ethnically diverse and hard to comprehend because people came from Uzbekistan to Morocco.
Zero Fixation Pushed People Into Woodlands
- Miles Ellingham explained France's 'zero fixation' policy forces migrants to keep moving and prevents stable camps from forming.
- That policy pushed people into woodland clusters like Lune Plage rather than one visible settlement.
Lune Plage: Hidden Circles Of Tents
- Jack Jeffrey described Lune Plage as eerie woodland with hidden circles of tents and distribution points for aid.
- He noted the landscape could look beautiful one moment and show utter destitution the next.