Project Play

We support and advocate for children and families on the move in northern France - providing play, parental support and case work.

THE CONTEXT

Since the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ in 2016, French and British policies have aimed to prevent new camps from forming — through constant evictions and routine police violence.

The children we work with live in informal camps or temporary accommodation centres, enduring inhumane conditions with no access to essential services, state protection or support. They have undergone difficult journeys and now find themselves experiencing police harassment and violence in France.

For many families, the UK represents a last hope for safety and sanctuary and the only option to give their children a safe future. Many of the children we work with attempt regular crossings to the UK, with further negative impacts on their physical and psychological wellbeing.

Our 2025 report, We Want to Be Safe, documents the sharp rise in police violence and child fatalities in 2024, and calls for urgent policy change to protect children’s rights.