September 2016. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls announces the plan to demolish the ‘Jungle’ refugee camp in Calais, France within a few weeks. In the coming weeks authorities would ban demonstrations against the demolition and meet protestors with water cannons and tear gas. The government plan was to disperse migrants into small groups throughout the country. The opposition claimed this was so the refugees and migrants become harder to see and harder to hear.

Jungle Burning

October 4th 2016. It was a sunny and surprisingly mild October morning I had arrived at the ‘Jungle’ Refugee Camp having walked from the ferry terminal meeting another photographer also called Dan along the away. In every respect it was a normal morning. As I walked in to the camp people were rising from their sleep, food stalls and cafes were busy along the ‘high street’ whilst others made breakfast beside their tents.