Latest news with #NorthernFrance
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.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'The French police? No problem!' Shocking boasts of smirking people smuggler to undercover MoS reporter shows why MPs are demanding to know what we get for the staggering £480m we give France to stem the tide of illegal migrants
Flanked by impassive henchmen deep inside a ramshackle migrant camp, the kingpin of a major people smuggling operation cracks into a cynical smirk. Laughing off any suggestion that the French police might stop his dinghies crossing to Britain, the trafficker boasts in broken English how the gendarmes not only pose 'no problem' for his criminal trade, but actually make it 'easy' for him. His damning comments – caught on video by undercover Mail on Sunday reporters last week – reveal just how little French authorities are doing to prevent the record numbers of small-boat crossings, despite receiving £480 million from the UK to tackle the issue. Though shocking, the ruthless Iraqi-Kurdish trafficker's assessment was proved right the very next morning. A boat crammed with more than 50 migrants sailed away from a beach near the tented migrants' village in Northern France as ten officers in riot gear stood idly by. The rare glimpse into the workings of a ruthless trafficker comes as part of a Mail on Sunday investigation into how these hardened criminals are running rings around police and making a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer 's vow to 'smash the gangs'. More than 15,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats so far this year – up 42 per cent on the same period in 2024. Today, our investigation can reveal that: The Home Office fears police patrols in northern France are depleted in the busy summer months as officers are redeployed to the south to help with the tourist season; One gendarme said there were simply 'not enough' officers to deal with the number of migrants, despite the UK's huge handout to bolster patrols; Smugglers are now launching dinghies further up the coast then having migrants wade into the sea to board them, where police will not intervene; A migrant detention centre that was supposed to be built in Dunkirk with British taxpayers' money appears to be just an empty industrial site after construction was delayed. His damning comments – caught on video by undercover Mail on Sunday reporters last week – reveal just how little French authorities are doing to prevent the record numbers of small-boat crossings. Pictured: Migrants set off aboard a small boat from the beach at Gravelines The findings sparked outcry from MPs last night, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp slamming the French response as 'completely useless'. It is thought that well over 1,000 migrants are currently squatting in squalid camps around Calais and Dunkirk, waiting to take advantage of the calm summer seas to set sail for Britain. The Mail on Sunday found hundreds of men, women and children gathering around the town of Grande-Synthe, a suburb to the west of Dunkirk. Here they have established a self-sufficient commune akin to the notorious Calais 'jungle' that was shut down in 2016. Makeshift cafes feed dozens of hungry mouths, and barbers ply their trade. But these ramshackle settlements have also seen escalating violence between desperate migrants and callous people smugglers. Last weekend, a 27-year-old migrant from Yemen was shot twice at the jungle camp in neighbouring Loon-Plage, while two migrants and two security guards were killed in December. Frenzied activity surrounds a shopping centre in Grande-Synthe, where migrants top up on supplies before catching the free local bus service to and from the camps. It was here that our undercover reporters, posing as a family who wanted to get their Indian cousin across the Channel, met a young Sudanese migrant named Abbas, who led us to the headquarters of the kingpin people trafficker. After trekking through dense foliage and over a railway track, the group finally reached a small clearing dotted with tents, water stations and roaming chickens. Our reporters were interrogated by a series of henchmen, with one suspecting a police sting, before the boss finally emerged after almost an hour of nervous waiting. Wearing a blue hoodie and white baseball cap, the trafficker, who gave his name as Mamand, said he had boats up to 32ft long that could take around 55 migrants across the Channel at a cost of £1,270 each (€1,500) – meaning he could be pocketing up to £70,000 per trip. To aid his faltering English, Mamand used a cigarette lighter to illustrate how his boats slipped past beach patrols before being escorted to English waters by French maritime 'security'. Pictured: Migrants set off from Gravelines This is less than half what it often costs during winter, with the discounted price most likely due to the greater amount of business smugglers can do in fair weather. Smiling, he said the French police posed 'no problem' to his criminal enterprise. 'We send one boat, maybe the police take,' he said. 'But we take another [at the same time]. We send. We do not stop.' He told our undercover reporters: 'You can sleep here' ready for their crossing which 'may be tomorrow, maybe after tomorrow, maybe today. Which day water is good, if everything is good, we send.' To aid his faltering English, Mamand then used a cigarette lighter to illustrate how his boats slipped past beach patrols before being escorted to English waters by French maritime 'security'. Asked if this meant the French were helping the migrants, he replied: 'Only in water, help. If problem [with the dinghy in the water, they] come in. If no problem, go,' he said, waving his hands dismissively. Asked if this meant the journey was made easy, the trafficker replied: 'Yes.' His words underline growing frustration with the French navy, who have been accused of 'escorting' dinghies to English waters, intervening only if the boats run into trouble, but otherwise allowing their free passage. The following morning, the smuggler's claims played out with unerring accuracy. At about 5am on Wednesday, we watched on as a boat overloaded with migrants sailed from Gravelines beach – around 12 miles west of Dunkirk – where ten gendarmes stood idly by, either powerless or unwilling to stop them. At one point, a naval vessel sped towards the dinghy as it appeared to struggle in choppy waters. But once it seemed safe, the French boat turned back and left it on its way. The dinghy was one of six boats carrying 400 migrants that arrived in England that day. French police say their hands are tied by maritime law, which means they are not allowed to intercept boats once they are in the water for safety reasons. On Wednesday morning another tactic was on display. While migrants gather at designated beachheads, smugglers launch their dinghies from a secret location elsewhere on the coast without passengers. When they get to the assembly points, the migrants wade into the sea and clamber on to the vessels – because once they are in the water the police do not intervene. Mamand said he had up to four pick-up spots around Dunkirk. One gendarme at Gravelines on Wednesday told us that he had been on patrol in town when three colleagues on the beach called for back-up after spotting a dinghy coming into view from the east. But by the time reinforcements arrived, there was nothing they could do, as the migrants were already boarding the boat. 'We try to do our best,' the officer said. 'As you can see, we are not going in the water because it's dangerous for us and it's dangerous for them. If you go in the water, you have to take care. 'If we try to stop them in the water and they drown, it is our fault under the law, currently.' French police say their hands are tied by maritime law, which means they are not allowed to intercept boats once they are in the water for safety reasons. Pictured: Police enter the water to try to stop migrants boarding small boats at Gravelines He added: 'Three police for 50 migrants – it is not enough.' By Friday, though, the gendarme had seemingly overcome their reluctance to get wet, as officers were pictured knee-deep in water, dragging migrants ashore. In an apparent change in tactics, police even used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse migrants from the beach. The operation, though, was only a partial success, as some boats still made it out to sea. Meanwhile, a local politician in Boulogne, about 25 miles to the west of Calais, summed up the French attitude. 'OK, the British have given us millions of pounds and the cameras and drones help the gendarmes spot the migrants,' he said. 'But in England the authorities meet the migrants off the boats and take them to hotels. 'The impression we get is that the English are quite happy to see them. Otherwise why would they put them up in hotels? The magnet for the migrants has always been England. It's El Dorado. So let the migrants sail over to the UK and let the British sort out its problem.' Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Despite the huge amounts of money we have paid them, the French response is completely useless. 'Migrants are able to circulate freely and even if they are stopped on the beach they are released so they can try again the next day. It is totally unacceptable that the French do not intercept at sea, as the Belgians do, but instead usher illegal immigrants into UK waters. 'It is no surprise that so far 2025 has been the worst year in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. Labour's claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters.' Reform MP Lee Anderson said: 'None of this should come as any surprise. I went to the camps three years ago and it was obvious then that French police were turning a blind eye. Nothing has changed. 'I don't blame them – it's our fault. Fundamentally, by the time migrants reach Calais, they're in England. It might take them 20 attempts to get here, but they're not going anywhere else because they have so much help, not just from people traffickers but from non-government organisations. 'Arresting the traffickers won't work. Even if you lock up a gang leader for 30 years, 20 more will take his place because the cash rewards are so great. 'The only solution is to stop putting migrants in hotels when they arrive. Turn them around and send them straight back to France.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are strengthening our vital cooperation with France to disrupt the gangs behind these crossings. 'From this month, a new unit of dedicated officers has been mobilised to increase patrols along the northern coast of France. 'At the same time, the French authorities are working to amend their operational policy to allow maritime forces to intervene in shallow waters.'
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Job creator or industry killer? Europe's EV sector faces Chinese investment dilemma
Eyebrows raised and brow furrowed into a puzzled smile, French President Emmanuel Macron held a model of a cleanly sculpted, sheer white truck. To his left, Wen Han, a 35-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, beamed through thick, black-rimmed glasses. In Macron's hand was a miniature Windrose electric lorry , its sleek, forward-leaning nose and central driving position evoking science fiction more than the gritty world of road haulage. The Chinese company, founded by Han just three years ago, announced this week that it would build a €175 million (US$199 million) factory in northern France. Bigger investments and flashier names came to last week's Choose France summit, but few were set against a geoeconomic backdrop as charged as Windrose Technology's. The European Union is locked in a trade dispute with China over electric vehicles . It is also wrestling with whether and how to harness Chinese investment in the sector. Around the continent, a debate is being waged on whether China's prowess in the sector can be a job creator or an industry killer. Han is certain it is the former. 'He told me he wants me to bring the whole ecosystem to France,' Han said in an interview, when asked what Macron told him. Although only 30 Windrose trucks are on the roads worldwide, Han is ambitious. He wants to make 4,000 of them a year in France from 2027 and is eyeing an American plant too. He is already planning to float Windrose on a US stock exchange and told Macron he would like a secondary listing in France.
