5,000 signatures reached
To: Home Secretary
Stop Border Violence: Public Inquiry Now
The UK Government must call a full statutory inquiry into its role in deadly violence at the UK border.
Why is this important?
Project Play works with children at the border between France and the UK. In recent years, children have been telling us more and more about experiences of horrifying violence at the hands of the state. From tear gassing babies to confiscating toys and tents during brutal evictions, the actions of the police leave many children terrified and traumatised. Children also tell us about witnessing drowning, injury and death during attempts to cross the Channel.
New reports from Humans For Rights Network and Project Play show that UK funding and policy is responsible for deaths at the border in Calais. The UK government has given at least £784 million to France since 2014 for border security. A group of French MPs have recently launched an inquiry into how joint UK-French funding has affected people’s lives there, and it’s time for the UK to do the same.
New reports from Humans For Rights Network and Project Play show that UK funding and policy is responsible for deaths at the border in Calais. The UK government has given at least £784 million to France since 2014 for border security. A group of French MPs have recently launched an inquiry into how joint UK-French funding has affected people’s lives there, and it’s time for the UK to do the same.
In 2024 and 2025, 22 children lost their lives at the UK-France border. Their names were Abadeh, Mohamed, Roula, Sara, Abdelaziz, Mohammed, Ishannullah, Sablia, Meri, Mansur, Maryam, Salah, Agdad, and 8 unnamed children. Many more adults were also killed. In their memory, we must stop the cruel policy choices that led to their deaths.
People have to land on UK soil in order to claim asylum. UK policy has left people in Calais no choice other than to use dangerous methods to do this, because no safe and legal routes are provided. And, according to the French Interior Minister, 720 out of 1200 police officers patrolling the border daily - the ones treating children and babies with such inhumane violence - are funded by the UK. We need an urgent inquiry into how our funding and policy is causing deaths and trauma for people at our borders.
