Abstract
Journalists usually frame the ‘Calais Jungle camp’ on the French-British border as a criminal, lawless and chaotic Other in opposition to civilized (European) society. However, one can detect at least one second axis of media representation: that of framing the camp as a city. This study aims at showing to what extent the informal encampment can indeed be considered a city. First, two newspaper articles, published in 2015 by the British tabloid Daily Mail Online, are analyzed. Then, relevant theories of urbanity and refugee camps are reviewed. By contrasting the Jungle with other refugee camps and urban theory, the study finds that, although the Jungle resembles a city in its diverse economic activities and heterogeneous population, it cannot be regarded as urban. In order to be considered a city, the camp must meet criteria such as separated public and private areas, planned permanent development, some form of administration, and possibilities for democratic participation by the inhabitants. It is thus concluded that the Jungle is an hors-lieu rather than a functional city. Finally, it becomes apparent that the degree of urbanity that can evolve within a camp is highly dependent on its legal status and contextual conditions*.
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