The street artist turned curator ordered any useful materials to be sent to the so-called 'Jungle Camp' to help provide more protection from the weather as winter ensues and the numbers of refugees living in the camp trebles.
As promised, Banksy’s Dismaland is now a refugee shelter in Calais https://t.co/dUxdte9XOE pic.twitter.com/IbphKRVoJa
— Kate Bond (@katebonduk) October 22, 2015
The decision to take Dismaland to Calais and erect it as 'Dismal aid' was to further highlight the squalid conditions refugees are forced to live in, while the European Union look on, almost powerless and useless.
But the message hasn't stuck around for very long. Reports have emerged that "unidentified onlookers" tore down the sign, accusing Banksy of capitalizing on the plight of refugees.
A British aid worker told local media:
"They were accusing Banksy of trying to glorify his own name.
"They were saying, 'He's got all that money to help but he just wants publicity off the back of people here' — and they took down the sign as the workers left the camp."
But Banksy's message wasn't missed on the aid worker who added:
"He's trying to draw attention to the lack of help for people here. But they didn't see that, they just took the sign down."
Whether Banksy has been there or not, the crisis in Calais cannot be ignored. There are reports every day of more migrants and asylum seekers trying to break the security fence and enter the Channel Tunnel enclosure and reach the UK.
Sixteen people have died trying to reach Britain so far this year and the number of people living in tents and huts has now reached over 6,000. The city's mayor has suggested the army be brought in to watch over what Natacha Bouchart said had become a town in its own right.
The camp in Calais is not just a dismal place to be — it's a reflection of how Europe has failed to cope with or solve the refugee crisis — and people already know that, whether Banksy has been there or not.
