Calais: On the Edge of the Channel

Calais sits at the entrance of the Channel Tunnel and serves as a port for ferries to England. It has also become a gathering point for migrants hoping to cross into the UK.

Those driven there by smugglers face an extremely dangerous journey. Police and immigration services monitor the border closely, making the crossing perilous. Many attempt it repeatedly, hoping for a single stroke of luck — but some never succeed. Lives are often lost, and many deaths go unrecorded.

While waiting for their chance, migrants live in makeshift shelters on the outskirts of the city, enduring harsh and inhuman conditions. The hope for a better future, combined with the financial sacrifices of their families, drives them to keep trying, despite the constant risk of failure, injury, or death.