A coastal town in northern France is witnessing an “urban guerrilla war” on its once-quiet streets as migrants hoping to cross into the UK clash with police.
The inhabitants of Grand-Fort-Philippe, located between Calais and Dunkirk, have been living peacefully for years alongside men, women and children desperately seeking a new life on the other side of the English Channel.
But many now fear for their safety as clashes between migrants and police have worsened, moving from beaches a mile away to residential areas. The telegraph information.
The violence, which saw police use tear gas against stone-throwers, has disrupted lives and caused collateral damage to people’s property in the small town of around 5,200 people.
Meanwhile, a new camp similar to the “Jungle” – a large maze of tents that was dismantled in 2016 – has reportedly sprung up on the outskirts of the city.
A gendarmes is seen near a group of migrants in the town of Gravelines, near Dunkirk.
Makeshift camps have sprung up near Dunkirk as migrants wait for a place on a boat to cross the Channel.
The inhabitants of Grand-Fort-Philippe, located between Calais and Dunkirk, have been living in peace for years alongside migrants hoping to cross the English Channel.
Pictures show makeshift shelters at the new camp, which is close to the ferry terminal in Dunkirk.
Migrants sleep in tents and even World War II bunkers along the coast while they wait to negotiate space on a boat with human traffickers.
Relations between locals and migrants have been cordial, with many sympathetic to their plight and people remaining in the area staying put.
But things have become more tense with the introduction of more police officers after local mayors called for more help, locals said.
“There is no problem between us and the immigrants,” explains Yvon Agez, a retired grandfather who has lived all his life in Grand-Fort-Philippe. “They come by, we say hello and that’s it.”
But, he said, “now that the police are preventing them from leaving, it has become a war, a war between the police and the immigrants. If the police would let them cross, there would be no problem.”
Mr Agez said he had started walking his 12-year-old granddaughter to and from school as he feared she could get caught up in the potential violence.
Locals fear this is just the beginning, with one saying he believes the migration crisis is “going to get worse over the next 20 years.”
Large group of migrants receives help from charity workers in northern France
Reports suggest that as French police patrol the beaches of northern France, human traffickers are seeking out towns such as Grand-Fort-Philippe, near canals and rivers, to launch their boats.
On August 13, around 50 migrants were prevented from boarding an inflatable boat and clashes on the beach spread to residential streets.
In the nearby town of Gravelines, a family woke up to find a group of migrants inflating a boat in their backyard to avoid detection by police.
The local mayor said that while this is the first case of its kind, he fears it could become “a new tactic.”
With blue and red lights flashing, the speedboat passed close to the boat a couple of times, warning it to turn around and head for shore.
“Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night and finding people blowing up a boat in your garden?” asks Bertrand Ringot.
While some locals say they are reassured by the increased police presence, charities have warned of their heavy-handed approach and even violent tactics, with one saying families with children and pregnant women have been tear-gassed.
Many local residents have argued that police should allow migrants through on their journey to the UK.
But local authorities have said that by allowing poorly equipped migrants to pass, they are in fact abandoning them to die at sea.
Meanwhile, a migrant aid charity called Utopia 56 said most migrant deaths occur near the coast.
The presence of police on beaches is said to cause panic among those trying to get out to sea, often leading to them boarding boats that are not properly inflated or assembled, or even that have been punctured by police.
Authorities came under fire last week when shocking video emerged showing border guards ramming an overloaded migrant boat with their speedboat as it left Calais.
So far this year, 25 people have lost their lives trying to cross the Channel, more than double the number for the whole of last year.
Migrants wade through the water as they desperately try to board a smuggler’s boat off the northern coast of France (file image)
Nearly 20,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats since the start of the year (file image)
On Tuesday alone, more than 500 migrants arrived in the UK as border forces struggle to manage the crisis; the total now stands at 20,000 by 2024.
Migrant crossings have increased over the summer, in line with annual trends. Last year, a total of 29,437 people arrived in the UK on small boats, compared to 45,755 in 2022.
In the year ending June 2024, Afghans were the main nationality crossing the channel, followed by Iranians, Vietnamese and Turks.
Many of those arriving are fleeing war or persecution from oppressive regimes, but they take significant risks in undertaking the perilous journey.