Full Breakdown
A Decade After the Calais “Jungle”: Shifts in the Experience of Women Migrants
By Drooid · · How we work
Anniversary Overview
In October 2026, FRANCE 24 marks ten years since French police dismantled the Calais “Jungle” migrant camp. Reporter Claire Paccalin returns to the region to assess how conditions for migrants—particularly women—have evolved over the past decade.
Historical Context of the Calais Jungle
The “Jungle,” which once housed thousands of asylum seekers hoping to reach the United Kingdom, was cleared in 2016 after extensive media scrutiny and political pressure. Its removal was intended to disrupt informal settlement patterns and reduce humanitarian concerns, but it also displaced many migrants to other parts of Europe.
Current Situation for Women Migrants
Paccalin notes that women migrants now face a different set of risks across European routes. While the physical concentration of camps in Calais has lessened, women encounter heightened vulnerability to exploitation, limited access to gender-specific services, and increased exposure to trafficking networks as they move through secondary destinations. The shift from large, visible encampments to dispersed, often hidden accommodations has altered the visibility of their plight.
Expert Insights
During the program, Annette Young and Dr Marissa Quie of Cambridge University discuss how migration pathways have diversified. They argue that policy changes in France and neighboring states have redirected flows toward inland transit hubs, where women encounter fewer formal protections. Both experts emphasize that the political debate in Europe now foregrounds gender-based concerns, prompting some governments to incorporate women-focused provisions into asylum procedures, though implementation remains uneven.
Broader Political Impact
The anniversary segment underscores that the legacy of the “Jungle” continues to shape European migration discourse. By highlighting the specific challenges faced by women, the report suggests that future policy reforms may need to address gendered vulnerabilities more directly, even as the continent’s overall approach to irregular migration evolves.