in Calais, exiles sheltered for the night – Liberation
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Faced with extreme temperatures, a device managed by the prefecture offers a roof during the night. Some people stay in their makeshift camps in the hope of a passage to Britain.
Wrapped up in his anthracite scarf, Maxime calls it “the freshness”. The 19-year-old Chadian talks about the freezing weather that has gripped Calais (Pas-de-Calais) at the moment. He’s been there for three weeks and is trying to get used to the polar cold that’s hitting the city as much as possible. The negative temperatures of the last few days have forced the State to organize shelter for a few nights for exiled people present in Calais like him. This device, managed by the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais each winter, was activated for the first time of the year on Friday and until Wednesday evening at least. According to the prefecture “1,092 shelters were carried out, including 87 for the benefit of people declaring themselves minors” since the end of last week. But a certain number will choose to stay outside near the crossing points, waiting for a departure by sea or truck.
This Tuesday, Météo France placed the department on “extreme cold” vigilance, a sign of a further deterioration in conditions. Monday, the day before the weather alert, Maxime slept in the shed reserved for adults. He was warned the same morning of this possibility, during an organized raid on his camp. “They told us: ‘Tonight it’s going to be -6°C, you can go and sleep there. They gave us a bus number, 10, and I went there in the evening.
Red eyes
There, he was given a ticket for a hot meal and a bed. This temporary overnight stop was