The Kids of Calais: Portraits of Europe's forgotten children

The young faces of a crisis — For refugees arriving in Europe, life remains to be tough. Dangerous journeys end in prejudice and poverty, as European governments continue to turn their backs. Photographer James Rippingale headed to Calais 'Jungle' to capture the faces of the children with their lives suspended, waiting for a new place to call home.

According to aid organisation Help Refugees, the ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais is currently home to 157 unaccompanied minors – some of them as young as ten.

Karwan, 6 years, Afghanistan

Karwan, 6 years, Afghanistan

Ali, 8 years, Afghanistan

Ali, 8 years, Afghanistan

These children are alone and vulnerable, having left their homes on the other side of the world. Trying to navigate a new culture and country is hard enough for fully grown adults – different languages, different people, a society that all too often won’t open you with open arms.

Awara, 5 years, Afghanistan

Awara, 5 years, Afghanistan

Ana, 10 years, Iran

Ana, 10 years, Iran

Now imagine doing this alone as an infant – it doesn’t bear thinking about. Except we must, because it’s happening.

After the French authorities ordered the demolition of the camp’s southern zone in March this year, thousands of refugees found themselves once again displaced, surrounded by violence and aggression. Ramshackle homes were grounded, but so too was the camp’s family area and women and children’s centre, all of which have now been relocated shoulder-to-shoulder inside the northern camp.

Shah, 12 years, Iraq

Shah, 12 years, Iraq

Rayan, 2 years, Afghanistan

Rayan, 2 years, Afghanistan

As well as the camp’s unaccompanied minors, the fate of the Jungle’s 228 remaining children remains as uncertain as ever. Despite their vulnerability and age, many are accompanied by a parent or guardian so fail to meet the government’s criteria for aid, assistance or safe passage.

“These kids have only ever known war”, says Alison Moriarty, a volunteer at The Jungle’s Women and Children’s Centre. This had once been a makeshift drop-in facility distributing food and clothing, but since that was demolished they now operate from a double-decker bus.

Ilia, 6 years, Iran

Ilia, 6 years, Iran

“They’ve seen their schools blown up. They’ve seen their houses blown up. They’ve been smuggled half way across the world. And now, they’re here”, Alison continues. “Here they run around all night, every night, they have [no one] to make them put on socks, change their underwear or the basic things we take for granted.”

“We’re terrified. These kids are really, really suffering.”

Lara, 9 years, Afghanistan

Lara, 9 years, Afghanistan

Soura, 1 year, Kurdistan

Soura, 1 year, Kurdistan

Photo-journalist James Rippingale visited the camps over a period of weeks in Calais, getting to know the children who live there.

I’ve worked between Calais and England for around 18 months, usually staying on site with volunteer friends. Though I only stayed for a week this time, it helped me strengthen my relationship with my subjects who I’d known from previous trips”, James says.

Abdullah, 4 years, Afghanistan

Abdullah, 4 years, Afghanistan

Safi, 14 years, Afghanistan

Safi, 14 years, Afghanistan

“These children are the faces of the crisis, the most vulnerable and the most let down. They are the eyes which European governments should be looking into when they decide to build wire fences instead of implementing constructive policies and carrying out their ‘humanitarian interventions’ with tear gas and batons.”

“These are just small children, trapped in an alternate and ever-crumbling reality a few miles from the British coastline, desiring nothing more than the magic of an ordinary afternoon.”

Names have been changed at the request of the Calais Jungle’s Women and Children’s Centre.

You can follow James on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Black-and-white image of two men in suits, with the text "EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER" in large bright yellow letters overlaying the image.
Culture

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?

Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.

Written by: Emma Garland

A group of people, likely children, sitting around a table surrounded by various comic books, magazines, and plates of food.
© Michael Jang
Culture

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography

The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.