Selfridges confirms end to Care for Calais partnership
Selfridges has confirmed it has ended its partnership with Care for Calais, which trained asylum seekers for catering roles.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Department store Selfridges has confirmed it has ended its partnership with Care for Calais, a charity that supports asylum seekers and migrants. The move follows questions about the relationship, which had seen the retailer fund a two-week catering training programme for asylum seekers who had already arrived in Britain.
The training was designed to teach basic service skills, knife skills and cooking, and could lead to a level two qualification. Selfridges had also listed Care for Calais as one of its London partners and encouraged staff to volunteer for the organisation.
After being approached for comment, Selfridges removed posts about the partnership from its LinkedIn and other social media pages. In a statement, the company said the initiative had been led by a former team member and that there was no current activity or plan to continue it.
Care for Calais has a wider presence in Britain and in Calais, France, where it has distributed phone sim cards, hoodies, food packs and weatherproof clothing to people seeking to reach the UK. It also offers services such as haircuts, English lessons and bike repairs.
The company's decision has drawn criticism from some commentators, who point to record youth unemployment and argue that the retailer should have focused on training young British workers instead. Others have suggested that charities like Care for Calais may encourage migration by providing practical help and advice.
A Selfridges spokesperson said the company was no longer encouraging staff to volunteer with the organisation. The partnership is now officially over, though the retailer has not made a public announcement beyond the removal of online references and a confirmation given in response to a direct inquiry.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News |
|---|---|
| Care for Calais has delivered items including phone sim cards, weatherproof clothing and food packs to people seeking to get to the UK. | |
| Selfridges said it is no longer encouraging staff to volunteer with Care for Calais, noting the initiative was previously led by a team member. | |
| The Selfridges and Care for Calais partnership involved a two-week catering training programme for asylum seekers. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News focused on the controversy and criticised the partnership, arguing it was inappropriate at a time of record youth unemployment. The presenter and guest framed Care for Calais as potentially aiding migration to the UK, and welcomed Selfridges' decision to distance itself as a positive step.
- “i think we should actually be very pleased about it's a really good choice by Selfridges and i hope more companies realize they should distance themselves from these sorts of organizations”
- “if Care for Calais are there handing out waterproofs and advice what to do when you get to britain are they in effect aiding the trade”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.