France and Britain want to prevent the canal from becoming a cemetery. It may be too late.

France and Britain want to prevent the canal from becoming a cemetery.  It may be too late.

27. This number sent shock waves across France and Britain last week. Many people drowned here in the English Channel in one night.

Ahmed will follow. He can no longer bear life here in Calais, France, where he wakes up every morning in the green tent – if he is lucky.

This is despite the fact that France is one of the best countries in the world to live in.

Why does Ahmed go?

DOVER/CALAIS (Aftenposten): Here, many dreams of Europe crumble. Then one hope remains. In order to succeed, life must be at stake.

– We trust human traffickers more than the authorities, says 27-year-old Ahmed.

It’s usually hard to find here in the French port city of Calais. But these are just normal times.

Ahmed’s gaze wanders up and down a residential area. With trained eyes, he watches the police. To check if the coast is ready.

Only his eyes are visible between the hat that keeps his head warm, and the bandage that covers his nose and mouth. Although he doesn’t have the money to buy food, he does give face masks to the people he’s having a conversation with. Dealing with Covid restrictions has become an important part of daily life in the city he wants to integrate into.

But the pandemic is now not the biggest challenge in Calais.

A record number of refugees and other migrants are entering the sea from the coastal city these days. The target is the United Kingdom. But first they have to cross more than 80 kilometers of sea across the English Channel.

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With life at stake.

Calais has shone the spotlight on the world. Now the otherwise quiet port city has become the main stage for a major political drama.

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Jabori Obasanjo

Jabori Obasanjo

"Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer."

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