Latest news with #LoonPlage
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Telegraph
Migrant shot dead in revenge killing amid spate of murders in northern France
A prospective Channel migrant was shot dead on Sunday amid rising tensions and increased violence within makeshift camps in northern France. The victim, in his 30s, was shot seven times in Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, according to La Voix du Nord, a local newspaper. Around 20 shots were fired during the altercation. A murder investigation has been opened, but no arrests have been made so far, the Dunkirk prosecutor's office said. Sunday's shooting was the third deadly incident at migrant camps in the area in less than two months. On the weekend of June 14-15, back-to-back shootings killed three people and injured a mother and her two-year-old child. 'It's dangerous,' an unnamed Iraqi migrant told local news outlet France 3 Nord Pas-de-Calais on Monday. 'The guy who died here yesterday was killed by 18 gunshots. There are too many weapons here, and yet this is Europe; it's not my country.' The migrant also spoke about conflicts between people-smugglers, saying: 'There are too many problems between them.' Smugglers once operated independently but have, in the last few years, developed into an increasingly violent and well-organised mafia-style network, said Jean-Christophe Couvy, the general secretary of the police union UN1TÉ. 'You have smugglers from Iraq and Turkey who are now armed. They have money, networks and are increasingly armed with rifles and pistols,' Mr Couvy told the Telegraph. 'It's a real mafia with networks that can be traced all the way back to Iraq. 'There are several ethnic groups, several communities, and sometimes clashes break out between them.' Migrant aid groups say poor living conditions and the dismantling of camps by French police are exacerbating tensions. 'We're operating in an environment where people have very little, where they're fighting to survive,' Sarah Berry, of Roots, a British NGO, told InfoMigrants. 'That doesn't excuse anything, but it partly explains the violence, especially when you have a lot of different ethnic groups and a lot of desperate people. What's changed is that there are fewer places to hide to make deals on crossings to Great Britain.' Ms Berry also noted that while violence between smugglers is not new, the level of violence has become more brazen. Daylight shootings have become increasingly commonplace in the Loon-Plage area. On July 9, journalists with InfoMigrants witnessed a daylight shooting near a food distribution site in the presence of migrant aid groups, mothers and children. An Iraqi man was hit in the knee. Last December, five people, including two security guards, were killed by gunfire in the same area. In February, a man died after being shot in the chest in what is believed to be a settling of scores between smugglers. Last month, the French courts sentenced nine Kurdish and Afghan smugglers to seven to eight years in prison after eight migrants died while trying to cross the English Channel in December 2022. The men were found guilty of human trafficking, involuntary manslaughter, endangering others and aiding illegal immigration.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
UK-bound migrant is blasted to death 'by people smuggler who shot him seven times' in Dunkirk camp
A murder enquiry was launched in northern France today after a UK-bound migrant was shot seven times by suspected people smugglers. The deceased – a man in his late teens or early 20s – is the latest victim of a surge of shootings around a camp at Loon-Plage, on the outskirts of Dunkirk. 'He was hit by seven bullets,' said an investigating source on Monday. 'The camp was full of people hoping to get to Britain, when he was confronted by gunmen. 'Around twenty bullets were fired in all, and seven entered the man's body. Emergency service workers attended the scene, but they could not save him.' The Dunkirk prosecutor visited the crime scene, which on Monday was blocked off, and surrounded by armed police. The hunt was meanwhile launched for the 'suspected people smugglers' responsible for murder, said the source. It was the latest in a long list of shootings around Loon-Plage beach, from where small inflatable boats packed with migrants regularly set off for Britain. In June, a Sudanese man was shot dead and a mother-and-child wounded by suspected people smugglers the same camp. French anti-riot police officers stand guard as a migrant carries away his belongings before the destruction of buildings including a makeshift mosque and Evangelist Church, in the so-called 'Jungle' migrant cap in Calais, on February 1, 2016 The bloodbath unfolded when a gang opened fire on specific targets, while hitting passers-by. Two males – a man and a 17-year-old minor connected to a people smuggling gang – were then arrested, and face charges of 'murder by an organised gang' and 'attempted murder by an organised gang.' There were also charges related to possession of a range of weapons, believed to include pistols and rifles. Beyond the dead Sudanese man, three other men were seriously wounded and taken to hospital in Dunkirk. All of the violence is said to be linked to people smugglers 'settling scores' against those who do not pay them. The cost of a single voyage to Britain in a small boat is now as much as £1500 cash. In December, a gun enthusiast was charged with the murders of five men including UK-bound migrants around Loon Plage. Frenchman Paul Domis, 22, was remanded in custody after confessing to a lethal shooting spree in the area. During less than an hour of intense violence, Domis allegedly targeted three former colleagues, and two Iraqi-Kurds who had intended to get to Britain on small boats. Charlotte Huet, the Dunkirk prosecutor, said Domis faced 'life in prison' for 'three targetted assassinations' of men he knew, and two further charges of 'murder' of the migrants. Domis will be remanded in custody until a quintuple murder trial is held later this year, or in 2026. The Loon-Plage camp is an illegal one, but growing everyday as migrants from all over the world arrive. In the first half of this year, some 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK, up almost 50 per cent on the corresponding period last year. Numbers of what the British government calls 'irregular migrants' keep rising, with 638 arriving on the coast of England in the seven days to last Friday. Bruno Retailleau, France's Interior Minister, regularly pledges tougher action against the highly organised smuggling guns operating in northern France. He said: 'Our government will intensify the fight against these mafias who are getting rich by organising these crossings of death.'
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Small boat migrant found dead riddled with bullets on French coast after being gunned down ‘by people smugglers'
A SMALL boat migrant has been found dead after being shot seven times by suspected people smugglers - with a murder enquiry launched. The deceased man - in his late teens or early 20s – is the latest victim of a surge of shootings around a camp at Loon-Plage, on the outskirts of Dunkirk. 3 3 3 Investigating sources revealed on Monday: "He was hit by seven bullets. "The camp was full of people hoping to get to Britain, when he was confronted by gunmen. "Around twenty bullets were fired in all, and seven entered the man's body." The source added how emergency service workers were at the scene but tragically couldn't save him. The Dunkirk prosecutor visited the crime scene, which on Monday was blocked off, and surrounded by armed police. The hunt was meanwhile launched for the "suspected people smugglers" responsible for murder, said the source. It was the latest in a long list of heinous shootings around Loon-Plage beach, from where small inflatable boats with migrants onboard regularly set off for Britain. In June, a Sudanese man was shot dead and a mother-and-child wounded by suspected people smugglers the same camp. The horrific bloodbath unfolded when a gang opened fire on specific targets, while hitting passers-by. Two males – a man and a 17-year-old minor connected to a people smuggling gang – were then arrested, and face charges of "murder by an organised gang' and "attempted murder by an organised gang." There were also charges related to possession of a range of weapons, believed to include pistols and rifles. Migrant hotel protesters take to the streets again as demonstrations spread across the country in weekend stand-off Beyond the dead Sudanese man, three other men were seriously wounded and taken to hospital in Dunkirk. All of the violence is said to be linked to people smugglers "settling scores" against those who do not pay them. The cost of a single voyage to Britain in a small boat is now as much as £1500 cash. In December, a gun enthusiast was charged with the murders of five men including UK-bound migrants around Loon Plage. Frenchman Paul Domis, 22, was remanded in custody after confessing to a lethal shooting spree in the area. During less than an hour of intense violence, Domis allegedly targeted three former colleagues, and two Iraqi-Kurds who had intended to get to Britain on small boats. Charlotte Huet, the Dunkirk prosecutor, said Domis faced 'life in prison' for 'three targetted assassinations' of men he knew, and two further charges of 'murder' of the migrants. Domis will be remanded in custody until a quintuple murder trial is held later this year, or in 2026. The Loon-Plage camp is an illegal one, but growing everyday as migrants from all over the world arrive. In the first half of this year, some 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK, up almost 50 per cent on the corresponding period last year. Numbers of what the British government calls "irregular migrants" keep rising, with 638 arriving on the coast of England in the seven days to last Friday. Bruno Retailleau, France's Interior Minister, regularly pledges tougher action against the highly organised smuggling guns operating in northern France. He said: "Our government will intensify the fight against these mafias who are getting rich by organising these crossings of death."
Telegraph
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
French police ‘will never stop us', say Channel migrants
Channel migrants have vowed that they will 'never give up' on trying to reach Britain despite a looming French crackdown on illegal crossings. French ministers are set to change maritime rules to allow border police, gendarmes and coastguard vessels to stop boats from leaving waters within 300 metres of their coastline. The new strategy will see 'taxi boats' packed with migrants intercepted in shallow waters off Channel beaches. It will probably mean that migrants trying to clamber aboard are pushed back onto dry land by officers armed with shields and batons. However, migrants told The Telegraph that they would 'never give up' trying to reach the UK on small boats. Young men, teenagers and families with small children said they would try to find a way through to Britain, whatever new methods were adopted by the French. Waiting at a makeshift migrant camp on the edge of Loon-Plage, near the port of Dunkirk, was Jamal, a 24-year-old Sudanese man. He had made the two-month journey from North Africa to northern France by any method he could, including boat and horseback. 'If the police stop us in the water when we try to reach the boats, then we will go back to the beach the next day or the next week,' he said. 'We'll never give up.' Ali, a 27-year-old nursing assistant from Afghanistan, had a similar message for the French and British governments. 'Me and my friends are seeking asylum. As Azeris, we cannot express our ethnic identity in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over. It is terrible,' he said. 'That is why I hope the British will give us asylum. That's why we travelled here from Afghanistan. 'I agree people shouldn't be able to cross illegally – only refugees who really need asylum should be protected.' Ali and Jamal, along with their fellow migrants at the Grand-Synthe camp, have faced a heavier than normal police presence on the beach at nearby Gravelines. The beach, which is more than 1,000 yards long, has been a favourite pick-up point for people-smugglers operating 'taxi boats' over the past week. But early morning, patrols of the sands and surrounding dunes by French riot police ensured that no migrant boats left Gravelines on Friday. From before dawn, foot patrols with powerful torches swept the dunes for migrants who might be hidden. As the sun rose, officers patrolled the surrounding paths and roads leading to the beach through holiday homes and children's playgrounds. Detritus left behind by migrants who had recently managed to board boats could be seen piled high on the edge of the beach – trainers, bags, clothes and some identity documents. There was even a crutch left behind by one migrant who was seen earlier in the week using his remaining crutch to clamber into a boat with the help of fellow passengers. There are signs at Gravelines and elsewhere that French police are taking a more interventionist approach in the migrant crisis, in response to criticism by the British Government. In the past week, migrants emerging from the dunes have been sprayed with tear gas. All vehicles approaching Gravelines beach were searched by early morning police patrols on Thursday, with officers checking for any signs of hidden migrants or inflatable boats. Police are also using drones and light aircraft to spot boats along a 75-mile stretch of coastline. At one stage, a patrol van could be seen parked next to a memorial honouring the sacrifice of French and British marines who took part in repeated attempts to reconnoitre German coastal defences in the run up to D-Day – an echo of previous Anglo-French co-operation. But migrant aid charities have warned that the French and British governments will have 'blood on their hands' if police adopt new tactics of intercepting migrants in the waters off the coast. In the past seven days, 2,066 people have crossed the Channel using 33 small boats, with traffickers taking advantage of good weather to make the crossing. Last Friday alone, 919 made the crossing using 14 boats. That was followed by 489 on Tuesday and 244 on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, six French coastguard vessels took part in the rescue of a small group of migrants whose overladen dinghy had run into difficulties mid-way across the Channel. The dinghy had set off unnoticed from a beach close to the port of Calais. The people on board were handed over to the British authorities after being plucked from their boat. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.'
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Telegraph
Two dead in migrant camp shootings
Two people died and at least seven were wounded in two separate shoot-outs over the weekend at a migrant camp in northern France. Both shootings took place near the Loon-Plage camp outside Dunkirk, where more than 1,500 people reside, as charities warned that rising migrant numbers and greater police pressure had led to increased tensions. Gunfire first erupted on Saturday, after authorities rescued almost 100 people trying to cross the Channel to the UK in previous two days. A 24-year-old Sudanese man was killed and five people were wounded, two seriously, including a woman and child, according to Charlotte Huet, the Dunkirk prosecutor. Police sources said that all the victims, including those killed, were Sudanese nationals and that the injured child was a baby. Authorities later arrested two suspects: a 29-year-old who claimed to be from Iraq and a 16-year-old who said he was from Afghanistan. An investigation has been opened into murder and attempted murder by an organised gang, the public prosecutor's office added. 'Access to healthcare and food is becoming difficult' A fresh shoot-out erupted on Sunday evening, with the public prosecutor's office on Monday confirming that one man had died and another was in critical condition. The first victim died after being shot in the head, and the wounded man was shot in the temple, according to a police source who added that a third person was wounded in the legs and had fled. Four 9mm cartridge cases were found at the scene, the source said. The public prosecutor said she had opened an investigation into murder, attempted murder and possession of weapons. 'At this time, no evidence has been found to link these events to those that occurred on Saturday, 14 June,' Ms Huet said. Salomé, a member of migrant help group Utopia56 who declined to give her surname, said: 'Tensions have been escalating for several weeks.' 'There are more than 1,000 people in the camps and access to healthcare and food is becoming extremely difficult,' she told AFP. She also pointed to the 'weekly dismantling' of camps in the area. France and Britain have vowed to crack down on people smugglers who charge steep fees for migrants to board often overloaded and unseaworthy boats. Some 14,812 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year in more than 260 boats, up nearly 32 per cent on the same period last year. It represents a record high for the first six months of any year since 2018. French maritime authorities said that on Thursday and Friday alone, they rescued 99 people from dinghies – that were drift or taking in water – that were carrying too many people. On Friday, UK authorities said that 919 people landed on its shores after crossing the Channel in 14 small boats. Some 52 people, all travelling on the same boat, had disembarked on the English coast the day before, they said. Since the start of the year, at least 15 migrants have died at sea while trying to reach England, French authorities said. The shoot-outs came after the French interior ministry confirmed earlier this month it would aim to intercept boats within 300 metres of the beaches to stop them leaving for the UK loaded with migrants. Until now, the French have refused to intervene in the water because they claim maritime laws prevent them from taking action that could put lives at sea at risk. But UK Government sources said ministers overseeing migration policy had given the green light to do so while 'respecting' the 'law of the sea'. The interventionist strategy is to be outlined in detail at the Franco-British summit, which begins on July 8, when Emmanuel Macron, the French president, will travel to London for a state visit.
