France terre d’asile launched a web and social media campaign on May 26 2016 entitled “#ReuniteThem” to raise awareness in France and in the UK on the situation of unaccompanied minors of Calais who are desperately trying to join their family in the United Kingdom.
After more than a month, this campaign backed by citizens, associations, artists and politicians from both sides of the Channel is coming to an end.
Thanks to the commitment of French and British citizens nearly 14,000 signatures have been collected!
40 young people have been reunited with their family thanks to the help of lawyers and NGOs. It is only a beginning and many others are still waiting. We will carry on asking governments, along with citizens, to protect these minors and to give them a future.
The end of this campaign does not involve the closure of this website because it proved to be a relevant bilingual source of information on the situation of unaccompanied minors.
France terre d’asile remains committed to the situation of unaccompanied minors and is going to set up a Monitoring Committee on the situation of unaccompanied minors in Calais, which observations and achievements on family reunion will be shared on this website.
About France terre d'asile :
France terre d'asile, a non profit organisation founded in 1971, works for the promotion of human rights and offers accommodation and assistance to asylum seekers, refugees and unaccompanied minors in France. France terre d’asile assists over 10 000 people daily, across the French territory.
The organisation also engages in legal and policy work, conducts information campaigns, and addresses and collaborates with institutions and national and European decision-makers in the area of asylum and migration. France terre d’asile is a member of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and has consultative status with ECOSOC at the UN.
About the campaign:
The photos were taken by photographer Alessandro Clemenza, in Calais.
Because those children demonstrate daily their strength, courage and resilience, France terre d'asile, Alessandro Clemenza and the Antidox Agency chose to represent them as modern heroes and not as victims.
They are called Niazai, Kaseer, Amir, Ibrahim. They are mostly between 11 and 17 years old. While they come from different countries, they all left their home behind to save their lives. They escaped war, dictatorship, exactions.
They spent months on the road and found the strength to reach Calais, alone. They live there in appalling conditions, in the hope of joining their family in the United Kingdom, and risk their life every night to try to cross the Channel.
