Derek It’s a shame on us. But what you’re building here … How is it organised?
Mohammed People work together. Community elders meet to discuss problems.
Derek Incredible.
Mohammed But the problems are great.
Derek This is a city.
Mohammed I have not heard this word about Zhangal before.
Derek What did you call it?
Mohammed Zhangal.
Derek Jungle?
Pause.
‘Now this is the Law of the Jungle, and the Law runneth forward and back,
The strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.’
Mohammed You must be very tired.
Derek Although short, the journey has been long. I feel I’ve been on a path here my entire life.
Sam enters, filming everything with his phone.
Sam (narrating) I’m standing inside the Jungle refugee and migrant camp in Calais, France. Easy to find. Less than an hour on the Eurostar, taxi from the station.
He wouldn’t come all the way so I walked the last ten minutes. It’s a big area, sand dunes, along a motorway to the port. Thousands of people. Tents, a few makeshift shacks. I was expecting more police. More authority. But there don’t seem to be any checkpoints at all –
Yasin No photos!
Yasin snatches Sam’s phone. The phone is instantly traded, and traded again. Suddenly lots of people are involved.
Sam I’m sorry. If I just could have my phone back, please, I’ll delete it, I’ll give you money –
Safi Norullah!
Safi buys the phone off Norullah and hands it to Sam, who offers to repay him. Safi declines the offer.
Ask before you take someone’s photo.
The music is getting louder.
Norullah (Pashto, to Safi, about Beth) You think she will take me to UK?
Safi (Pashto) I don’t know. Ask her.
Norullah (Pashto) You ask her!
Safi (Pashto) No, I’m not asking her.
Norullah (Pashto) Go on, just ask her, just ask her.
Safi (Pashto) No, no, no! (To Beth.) Excuse me.
Norullah No!
Safi Norullah would like to ask you a question.
Beth OK!
Norullah You …
He mimes driving a car.
Beth I … what?
Norullah Car?
Beth Oh, yes. I have a car.
Norullah Me, small. I … English no good. (Pashto, to Safi.) I could hide in the back.
Safi He says he could hide in the back.
Beth I don’t understand.
Safi He says he could hide in the back of the car and then you could drive him to UK.
Beth Oh …
Norullah Please.
Beth No …
Norullah Please!
Beth No, I’m so sorry, Norullah. I can’t do that.
Norullah Why?
Beth How can I explain this? Car is bad. Police look inside. Police arrest me. You understand?
He looks to Safi.
Safi (Pashto) Sorry, my friend. She says no.
Norullah Big problem!
Sam (to Beth) Hey! I’m Sam.
Beth Beth!
Sam What the fuck?
Beth I know, right?!
Sam Insane.
Beth It’s like –
Sam Glastonbury –
Beth Or something.
Sam Without the toilets.
Beth Yeah …
Sam How long have you –
Beth Four days. You?
Sam Four days. It’s –
Sam and Beth Incredible.
Sam I’ve never met –
Beth The stories –
Sam What are you going to do?
Beth Do?
Sam I’m thinking about housing. There are big opportunities here.
Derek I’ll put you in touch with Help Refugees. They’re a young grassroots organisation working with MSF on a shelter model. I’m Derek.
Sam That’d be great. Sam.
Beth I met them. They’re brilliant. Beth.
Derek Hi, Beth. Have you seen the warehouse for donations?
Sam Just –
Sam and Beth Amazing.
Beth Housing is a really good idea.
Sam You think?
Beth I mean, it’s sort of OK now, but –
All Winter.
Beth and Derek With the wind –
All From the sea.
Sam I know.
Paula enters with Little Amal, who is wearing new clothes.
Derek Things are going to get really awful. The people here need to organise, politically.
Paula Tell me you’re from a major NGO.
Derek I’m from Reading.
Paula Halle-fucking-lujah. Paula.
Derek Derek.
Sam Sam.
Beth Beth.
Norullah Norullah.
Beth I think I’m going to build a school.
Safi A school?
Sam Shit. A school is a great idea.
Beth I think it’s the first idea I’ve ever had.
Boxer enters with Helene, playing his banjo and singing. A raucous duet.
Boxer and Helene
‘Now, I’m the King of the swingers
Oh, the Jungle VIP!
I’ve reached the top and had to stop
And that’s what’s bothering me!
‘Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you
You’ll see it’s true
An ape like me
Can learn to be human too!’
Helene pushes him away in fits of giggles, and he finds the other volunteers.
Boxer Tell you what, those Eritreans know how to put it away! One euro for a can of Petroburg? Pints haven’t been this cheap since I were thirteen! Boxer, Boxer, Boxer, Boxer. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. Lots of newbies here, then. Choose your adjective: shocking, shameful, appalling, galling, dirty, awful, but oh so inspiring. I’ve been here since last Monday. Hitched a ride from Toon, ex wouldn’t lend me her car. Snuck on a ferry. They don’t check coming this way. Twenty pounds for an extra passenger? Don’t think so! Get out, get lost, find this. Half an hour, I’m chilling with a set of Pakistanis, some Afghan squidge and banging on the willy banjo.
Paula Jesus Christ.
Boxer No, it’s Boxer, like the workhorse. I’m here to fix stuff. I can fix anything designed before 1890. After that it gets complicated. I’ve got a theory, right. Everyone here is running from something. We’re all refugees. So the game is, what you running from? I’ll go first.
Paula Here we go.
Boxer Missus is a dragon. Custody of the bairn. Always will have because she’s a fucking lawyer, fucking minted. Dragging me through pits for child support. Doesn’t let me see her. And I bloody love that girl, my Lottie. So that’s why I’m here. Fleeing the authoritarian regime of my ex-wife. Refugee. How’s about you?
Derek Boxer, we were just speaking about –
Boxer No, come on. What you running away from, matey?
Derek I don’t feel I’m running away. I’m running towards.
Boxer Ah, towards what?
Derek Community. I’ve found things here that have disappeared in Britain.
Boxer Not happy at home?
Derek I think we’d all agree our country has changed. People don’t talk to each other.
Boxer There you go. Refugee. What about you, little miss? Shouldn’t you be in school?
Beth I’ve finished actually.
Boxer Haven’t got a job? Uni?
Beth One day, maybe.
Boxer Gap year?
Beth Sort of.
Boxer What’s wrong with uni?
Beth Three years of my life. Seventy grand of debt. For what? I just felt everything was sort of shit.
Boxer Refugee. What about you, son?
Sam It’s terribly important to be able to see and understand different cultures –
Boxer Jesus, say no more! Keep that silver spoon in your mouth, you’ll have someone’s eye out. Refugee. Thou, my darling?
Paula Getting away from wankers like you.
Boxer Orf, giggity. I’ll come back to you. What about you, mate?
Safi The civil war in Syria.
Boxer Yeah, that’d do it. Refugee.
The volunteers are alone in the centre, the residents looking at them. There is a strange, brief moment: ‘us’ and ‘them’. Norullah breaks it by pulling Beth into a dance, which sparks off the whole restaurant.
Salar walks into the centre, rips Boxer’s can of beer away.
Salar Everybody out!
Boxer Oy!
Salar No drinking in my restaurant!
Everyone leaves, apart from the elders.
Now we have a problem. The British.
Mohammed What about them?
Helene They are so funny.
Salar What are they doing here?
Helene They want to help.
Salar Why?
Mohammed ‘None of you will be a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’
Salar You use the Prophet’s words? They are not believers!
Helene They follow Jesus Christ. Do for others like you want them to do for you. It’s no different.
Salar They do not follow Christ! I’ve seen more of them in your nightclub than your church.
Helene They might not be Christian but they can dance.
Salar We’re not here to dance. And we don’t need help.
Mohammed Before, there was not enough of anything.
Salar Enough to survive.
Helene For you, maybe. It’s nice to afford food from restaurants. Eritreans have nothing.
Salar Hunger is good. It gets us to UK.
Ali A funny idea for the restaurant man.
Salar I suppose you like them?
Ali Actually, I agree with you.
Salar A miracle!
Ali We do not need them.
Salar Thank you.
Ali But we may want them. Have the boy count your takings. Then tell me you don’t want them.
Salar Have you forgotten why we’re here? We eat for UK, sleep for UK, shit for UK. We need quiet for this, and darkness. Our people think they will help them get to UK. They won’t. They don’t care about that.
Helene I spoke with a woman who says people in UK don’t know what is happening here.
Salar You believe this?
Helene If they know, maybe the border will open.
Salar They know.
Mohammed This is a good chance for us. A lady wants to build a library. There are plans for a children’s centre. Real wooden houses –
Salar I have heard there may be a theatre for entertainment.
Mohammed All of these things are important.
Salar Important for what? For who?
Salar sees Norullah leaving.
Where are you going?
Norullah Miss Beth builds school.
Salar takes him, stands him on the table in front of everyone.
Salar This boy is a refugee. He is a soldier. He is a warrior. He is Afghanistan. His father was killed by the Taliban. He walked here. He builds this place with me. He buys food from the shop every day. He provides for all the people of Zhangal. This boy does not need a school. He needs UK. And, inshallah, he will get this.
All Inshallah.
Helene So what are you saying, Salar? We kick them out?
Salar Yes.
Helene How do we do this?
Salar We tell them, go! You are not wanted.
Norullah tries to get down, Salar keeps him standing on the table.
Ali You are not the border man, Salar.
Helene Salar deports from Zhangal!
Mohammed When I arrive in UK I hope for welcome. Now we should offer the same.
Safi We must come to a decision about this. A vote.
Salar Vote?
Safi Everyone can give their mind.
Salar We do not vote. We agree.
Ali Agree with you?
Salar Yes.
Mohammed No, this is a good idea. There is disagreement, so we vote.
Safi Do we accept help of British man? Do we welcome him? Who says yes?
Helene, Ali and Mohammed raise their hands. Salar does not.
Salar?
Salar I do not.
Safi We must have an agreement, my friend.
Salar I know what British are like. They go to places they don’t belong and tell people what to do. They have done so in Afghanistan many times. Not here. Not in Zhangal.
Helene Jungle, they call it.
Salar What did she say?
Safi They have started calling it the Jungle.
Salar So already they make us animals. If they stay, they support us in everything. They do not decide. They do not tell us what to do.
Safi (to everyone) First they stayed one night. Then they stayed two nights. Then they moved in …
FOUR
THE GOLD RUSH
Derek opens the first full meeting of the Jungle.
Derek Welcome, salam, darood, to the first democratic meeting in the history of the Jungle! I am Derek, I have come from the UK to stand in solidarity with you. Safi and I will chair these meetings. They are a safe space where all voices can be heard. We have organised translators for all languages of the camp. I only ask that we are respectful towards one another. Translations, please!
Translations.
Now, I want to thank everyone for suggestions for our first agenda. We have education, housing, distributions, drinking water –
Norullah Place for shit!
Derek Yes, sanitation is on here. Police violence, wi-fi and … green energy. There’s a lot to get through.
Yasin UK? Wanna talk about UK!
Cheers of ‘UK! UK! UK!’
Derek Perhaps we can save UK for any other business? Now, I wanted to start with a thought I’ve been having. The name of this place, our temporary home. It does not feel like a jungle to me.
Maz Jungle for animals, not for humans!
Derek Yes, it’s a town. A thriving, bubbling town. A town of hope. So I want to propose we change it. A new name!
Cheers.
A more fitting name!
Cheers.
Hope Town!
Silence.
I’ll leave that there. Have a think, I’ll put it on the agenda for next time. Who’s first?
Salar I will speak. I would like to say thank you to British man for coming here. Already you have been great help. Now is like gold rush in the Jungle! I know it can be difficult to treat all nationalities equally. But I know you will find ways of being fair. And of maintaining peace in the Jungle. Thank you, British man!
He starts to clap, some others join.
Derek Thank you, Salar. Now let me see what we have –
Paula I’ll go. Paula. Women and Children’s Centre. Thank you, Boxer, for the building. Hasn’t blown away yet. Women’s distribution on Monday, kid’s distribution, Wednesday. And I know we’re all getting on our fucking high horses here about all sorts of shit, but send the kids to me. No one else is looking after them. Fuck knows where Save the Children are. Certainly not saving the fucking children. Help Refugees are working with Citizens UK and Safe Passage on a law called Dublin III. Remember the name. It gives all unaccompanied children who have family in Europe the right to be reunited with them. Legally. In a Eurostar, not on top of it. Britain signed it –
Cheers.
France signed it.
Norullah Fuck France!
Paula It is, what you might call, a law. Trouble is, Theresa darling buds of fucking May doesn’t give a shit.
Norullah Fucking May shit!
Paula So, if you meet a child who’s on their own, send them to the centre. We will get them to safety. And
if anyone sees little darling Jamil, tell him to give my fucking phone back. End of speech.
She leaves to applause from the refugees.
Derek Alright. Thank you, Paula. Next on the agenda: Beth’s school.
Beth’s school. No desks, chairs, just a big open space.
Beth OK, very good. Let’s start again. Back to the present.
Norullah We climb up top to lorry roof, then cut.
Beth What with?
Norullah Have knife. This word, the thing we cut?
Beth The canvas?
Norullah Canvas. Then climb to hole.
Beth Climb through the hole.
Norullah Climb through the hole, then take from shoes.
Beth Take what from shoes?
Helene The strings!
Beth The laces? Why?
Norullah For tie up hole!
Yasin. To stop the light come in when police have search!
Beth Have you all done this?
All. Yes!
Beth God. What happens next?
Omar We hide.
Beth Where?
Norullah Box.
Beth In the box?
Norullah Yes, we hide inside the box! Box farest from door.
Beth Furthest.
Norullah Oh, shit! Yes, good. Furthest from the door.
Beth Why the furthest?
Norullah So police don’t find!
Beth You hide yourself inside the box furthest from the door –
Norullah No!
Beth Go on …
Norullah My friend from Afghanistan –
Maz I am friend!
Norullah He …
Yasin. He hided you.
Beth He hid you. It’s an …
All. Exception!
Beth Hid is the past tense. But we’re still in the present. So …
Norullah So … he hides me …
Beth Because?
Norullah Because, I can’t hide myself!
Beth All together, from the start.
She points at each of them in turn.
Norullah I cut the canvas with my knife –
Omar I climb through hole –
Yasin I tie the hole with shoe laces –
Maz – and my friend from Afghanistan –
Helene – hides me inside a box –
The Jungle Page 3