Your recent article “Violence against lone child refugees is escalating – because we ignore it” (theguardian.com, 4 August) by Kirsty Brimelow highlighted the horrific conditions faced by the 700 children living in the “Jungle” camp in Calais, 78% of whom are alone. Now they are facing the prospect of being even more alone. The French police have issued eviction notices to all the establishments in the camp that serve food. This is on the pretext of health and safety. All the shops and cafes in the camp play a useful role in taking some of the pressure off the charities and volunteer groups who are tasked with feeding the camp’s residents. They are a symbol of the resourcefulness of some of the people in the camps, as they are thriving businesses.
The Jungle Book Kids’ Cafe is different. It is an essential safe space for the children of the camp. Every day it feeds hundreds of children who are alone in the camp for nothing. It provides somewhere safe for the children to be children with games and books. It helps children seek asylum. Most importantly, it keeps the children safe. Many, many have gone missing from the camp. There is a great deal of evidence that the rape and sexual exploitation of children in the camp has gone uninvestigated by the police. The cafe protects them.
We are very frightened that the eviction of the Jungle Book Kids’ Cafe will be a catastrophe for these children, some of them are as young as eight. They have already experienced more than any child should. We call on our government to intervene with the French authorities to enforce the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.
Alan Gibbons Children and young people’s author
Michael Rosen Writer and broadcaster
Christine Blower Ex-general secretary, NUT
Lucy Cox Teacher, Trade Unionists 4 Calais
Louise Regan Senior vice-president, NUT
Gill Goodswin Ex-president, NUT
Ian Hodson National President, BFAWU
Julie Bertagna Children’s author
Cathy Cassidy Children’s author
Lynne Breeze Children’s author
Celia Romancebooks Children’s author
Eve Ainsworth Children’s author
Anne Rooney Children’s author
Carol Drinkwater Writer and Film-maker
Sally Kincaid Trade Unionists 4 Calais, divisional secretary, Wakefield and district NUT
Zita Holbourne Black Activists Rising Against Cuts
Carol Carlsson Browne Retired headteacher
Lizzie Woods GMB
Cllr Dan T Lewis Sefton council, CWU chair of north-west region
Eve Light Mother
Simon Duckett Teaching assistant
Kate Mayer Learning mentor
Sue Sparks Editor
Di Finch Retired teacher
Karen Argent Director, The Letterpress Project
Del Pickup Student
Janet Newsham Greater Manchester Hazards Centre
Dr Melanie Gibson University lecturer
Yusuf Moosajee Teacher
Colleen Johnson Teacher
Amy Murch Primary teacher, NUT
Sophie Muller First aid volunteer, Jungle camp
Simon Murch NUT
Patrick Murphy NUT
Steve J Hill Teacher and volunteer in Jungle camp
Andrea Butcher Bookmarks bookshop
Floyd Codin PCS
Inbar Tamari President, Hackney NUT
Sara Tomlinson Divisional secretary, Lambeth NUT, Trade Unionists 4 Calais
Kauser Jan Assistant headteacher, Bankside Primary School, Leeds
Nawal Filali Deputy headteacher
Monica Giraldo Teacher
John Dolan OBE
Pierre Alozie Photojournalist
Audrey Glover President, Lancaster and district NUT
Eugene Docherty President, Lancaster and district Trades Union Council
Anne-Marie Oostveen Research fellow, University of Oxford
Norman Richie Wood Wantage CLP, Momentum, Unite community
Lizzie Kitchen Unite community, Leeds
Kate Douglas Southeast regional secretary, PCS DWP
David Matthew Bailey Staff nurse, Oxford University Hospitals
Catherine Johnson Writer
Sian M Bloor Division secretary, Trafford NUT
Amira Saleh Reading refugee response hub
Carmel Waldron Retired teacher
Marion Urch Writer
Nick Burke Unison rep
Glyn Oliver Chair, Unite community Southampton
Alasdair Smith
Felicity Cowell
Julie Penfold
Adena Knetgnellah Kohn
Georgia Mancio
Andi Dalton
Nina Coulson
Daniella Leea Miah
Ma Tea Tomas
Natasha Clayton
Sarah Browning
Sharon Dixon
Manisha Natarajan
Patty Efaimidou
Sarah De Beule
Libby Pentreath
Maria Cotera
Anne Norona
Soraya Tayob
Ida Bakar
Azra Syed
Jo Mo
Lulu Rutter
Tarin Brokenshire
Mia Jones-Marquez
Tom Jones- Marquez
Melani Finn
Melanie Gow
Veronica Barnsley
Maureen O’Driscoll
El Ciz
Chris Priestly
Angela Topping
Nikki Louise
Nik Dean
Barry Huchinson
Lynn Huggins-Cooper
Bianca Todd
Philip Caveney
Thom Oldson
Alex Stewart
Sally Calvert Dench
Michael Reynolds
Clare Donaldson
Martin Webster
Kuria Amoyaw
Oonah Joslin
Linda Strachan
Christopher Denson
Mark Campbell
Neil Rogal
Alan Summers
Janette Welsh
Felicity Dowling
George Arthur
Katie Scott
Rahul Patel
Harriet Goodwin
Anna Saunders
Gerry Dowling
Peter Gates
Paul Couchman
Harold Maxfield
Sally Skyrme
Allan Cairns
Jenny Taylor
Dee Combes
John Westmoreland
Fran Postlehwaite
Andy Morrison
Gill George
Charlie Hore
Jude Rosier
Katrina Lawrie
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