A French pro-migrant group in Calais “hijacked” product reviews on Amazon to call for support for migrants in the city and to collect donations.
The group L’Auberge des Migrants (Migrants’ Hostel) made an Amazon wishlist of products to purchase for illegal aliens residing at Calais camps. Migrants left reviews of the products, commenting on the conditions in the makeshift facilities in which they lived.
“We have decided to infiltrate the website and to hijack some of its main features. First, we have brought together a list of products that are most needed on the camps in Northern France, in an Amazon-type ‘wishlist’,” the group said in a statement.
“Then, a dozen displaced people who formerly lived in Calais have posted ‘reviews’ for every item of this wishlist, in which they comment on the living conditions in the Calais ‘jungle’,” the group added.
L’Auberge des Migrants president François Guennoc said his group was the main humanitarian aid association in the area and said the living conditions were “extreme”.
In one of the reviews for a hot water bottle, a member of the campaign wrote: “Can help you avoid hypothermia during the winter in Calais. You might think it’s superfluous, but it’s as important as good socks or blankets if you live outside. Only problem: not very convenient to transport when you have to move every two to three days because of police evictions.”
In recent months, Calais has seen a surge in activity as migrants attempt to cross the English Channel.
In December, people traffickers offered Christmas “discounts” for as little as £300, compared to the usual trafficking prices which range from £500 to £1,000.
Migrants also continue to attempt to board transport trucks heading for the UK, with a December report stating that police in the area of the A16 motorway were becoming overwhelmed by the number of migrants.
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