Entrer en relation. Distribuer des repas aux personnes exilées à Ouistreham

Abstract

Ouistreham is a town of 9,000 inhabitants located in Calvados, from where a ferry leaves for England and where, in 2003, there were already migrants in temporary accommodation on the beaches. However, in 2017, the number of immigrants in transit increased and their presence became more visible. The CAMO (Collectif d’aide aux migrants de Ouistreham ‒ Group to help Ouistreham’s migrants) was created in September 2017. At the outset, there were four persons in the Group; today more than 250 volunteers take part in its activities. This article examines the role of collective food distribution in the mobilisation of support for the people in exile in Ouistreham and then what can be learned from them. First, we will show that the distribution of meals is at the heart of the activities by the participating Groups and Associations in Ouistreham and that it constitutes one of the ways of making contact with the migrants. We then look at the way the ‘arts of meal distribution’ have been learnt reciprocally by the voluntary workers and by the migrants alike. The conclusion highlights the persistence at meals, of tensions arising from the inegalitarian nature of relationships between voluntary workers and migrants.

Keywords

• food distribution
• immigrants
• inhabitants
• mobilisation
• Ouistreham