Photo credit: Daily Mail
One of the most famous shopping thoroughfares in the UK, where top retailers are based, Tottenham Court Road in London has been transformed into a shanty town.
The Daily Mail reports that long lines of tents have sprung up housing homeless migrants.
A ramshackle “village” of tents clustered along the central London street close to the University College Hospital complex, which was recently subject to a prestigious rebuild costing over 200 million pounds.
In scenes more reminiscent of the infamous “Jungle” in Calais than London, a long line of tents had been erected, often on wooden pallets to keep rainwater out, over two plots of private land.
The inhabitants were a mix of migrants from around the world and a handful of homeless Britons. Most of them were men. Many of them begged for spare change along the street. Some plots even had gazebos, tables, chairs and cooking equipment. Stacks of uneaten food were piled up nearby.
Another tent set up in the middle of the busy street had a Deliveroo-branded delivery bike parked outside.
Some residents and business owners complained that some migrants openly smoke drugs and target shoppers to steal from.
Some tent residents grew angry when asked about their stay in the area. One, apparently English, refused to say how long his yents would be staying or how he got there.
But Colombian national Cesar Rodriguez was happy to share his story. He said, “My father was killed by criminals in Colombia at 45, and it was no longer safe for me.
“I have been welcomed in with open arms. I have worked the whole time I’ve been here, until last year when I lost my job.
“I’ve been on the streets ever since. Tomorrow is my birthday. But I refuse to be unhappy.”
