Refugees Deeply | 14.08.2017

As people trickle back to Calais after the demolition of the Jungle camp, authorities are doing all they can to prevent another camp from forming. In this photo essay, Julien Pitinome meets some of the refugees hiding out in forests and running from authorities.

Qeraso, a 17-year-old Oromo refugee, waits on the outskirts of the Quai Andrieux for a meal, July 26, 2017.Julien Pitinome

CALAIS, France – They live in quiet corners of Calais and forests on the edge of town. They must stay out of sight of the police who are on the hunt for refugees returning to the port city.

Local organizations estimate between 500 and 600 people are back in Calais since the demolition of the “Jungle” migrant camp and dispersal of some 10,000 people last October. They include former Jungle residents and new arrivals. Around 200 of them are children traveling alone.

Many hope to find a way across the English Channel to fulfill different dreams: joining relatives, making use of their English skills to build a better life, seeking asylum in the U.K. amid frustration with the slow process in France. […]