Foreign Volunteers Flock to Calais

In Calais, France, foreign volunteers and NGOs are helping the more than 3,000 displaced people stranded in the port city camp known as ‘the jungle.’ Students, spiritual leaders and concerned citizens from countries including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have donated food, clothing, sleeping bags and tents to the refugees in an effort to show “solidarity and humanity to all these people who are so desperate for a safe place somewhere.” Foreign donations to Calais have surpassed donations from France alone, highlighting the important role that non-state actors can play on the global stage. With winter fast approaching, these volunteers are working to both mobilize care and supplies for the refugees, while also appealing to their local councils to move the refuges out of the makeshift camp. As this video illustrates, citizens can have a direct impact on global affairs, not only in mobilizing aid, but also in advocating for change in governmental policies and opinions.