On Monday, October 26, France started to clear the sordid migrant camp in Calais, dubbed ‘the Jungle’. True to its moniker, the Jungle was a grimy refugee camp where, according to the New York Times, around 6,000 to 8,000 undocumented immigrants once resided, most of them young men hailing from Africa or Afghanistan. For years, French citizens were disappointed in the lack of effort that their government seemed to be putting into clearing the camp. While some feel that the clearing was a beneficial, much-anticipated move for the country, others argue that unless the refugees are guaranteed a place to live, it was an unwise decision. Some refugees, wary of what their future holds for them in France, tried to escape to England, but faced harsh repercussions.

The camp has seen many locations over time, as refugees were forced to move around from one makeshift refuge to the next. For the last time, on October 26, the camp shut down for good. Hundreds of journalists watched as men trudged along the road, heading anywhere but back towards the Jungle. There were many groups of men traveling with knapsacks, but some even walked out of the camp empty handed. All were prepared to build their lives back from the ground up. Unsurprisingly, there was uproar about where they should go.

While some refugees were being transferred to temporary living spaces throughout France, the majority of immigrants were left defenseless. Consequently, many men tried to covertly enter Britain through the Channel Tunnel, by sneaking onto cargo trucks, or simply walking through. Their hopes swiftly vanished as the sheer density of people caused agonizing traffic and offered no place to hide. “Even though I don’t know much about the situation, it doesn’t seem right. Refugees have a right a place to live, and have entrance and acceptance when they go there,” responded Trey May ’20.

A frustrated Britian responded by increasing security and building large fences around their neighboring borders near the Jungle. As very few men achieved success in making it past the border, the refugees realized that France was their only option.

Luckily, in the days following the movement, few problems were reported by the police. The French government was ready to steady itself around the refugees and appears to be trying its best to help them.

However, some citizens disagree. Many citizens of France feel threatened and fear for the future of their country. They do not feel safe around the refugees, and claim they are imposing themselves unjustly on French land. Some, however, want what is best for the refugees and are willing to put themselves at the disposal of the government to help.

“It’s devastating that nationalism is becoming more prevalent in Europe and the US and citizens feel like they are in danger when in reality the immigrants are in the most trouble, trying to find a place to go where they will not be persecuted,” Nick Gauthier ’17 commented on the refugee crisis. Although this is not an unforeseen change, it is an important one. While some try to determine whether this decision to clear the camp was wise, the government and refugees are working together to determine their futures based on the decisions already made.