The Calais Jungle was a refugee and immigrant encampment in the vicinity of Calais, France that existed from January 2015 to October 2016. There had been other camps known as "jungles" in previous years, but this particular shanty town drew global media attention during the peak of the European migrant crisis in 2015, when its population grew rapidly. Migrants stayed at the camp while they attempted to enter the United Kingdom, or while they waited for their French asylum claims to be processed.
The camp in October 2015
Badeldin Shogar, a Sudanese migrant, at the Jungle in October 2015
Tents at the jungle in October 2015
A makeshift library in the camp, January 2016
Calais is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,625 (2020). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen on a clear day from Calais. Calais is a major port for ferries between France and England, and since 1994, the Channel Tunnel has linked nearby Coquelles to Folkestone by rail.
Image: Jielbeaumadier Calais 2008 35
Image: Burghers of calais
Image: Calais tour du guet
Image: Calais Plage (2010)