Migrants near Dunkirk were seen risking life and limb to reach Britain on Wednesday, climbing onto moving freight lorries to cross the English Channel despite tighter French-UK border controls.
Footage shows migrants hiding among bushes and trees beside a motorway before running towards passing lorries. Several can be seen climbing onto trucks, with some eventually reaching the roof of a vehicle. A police vehicle is also seen leaving the area.
Dunkirk, Calais and surrounding areas have long been gathering points for people attempting to reach the UK by small boat or hidden inside freight vehicles, with makeshift camps repeatedly emerging around Loon-Plage and other parts of the Dunkirk area.
France’s Council of State said earlier that several hundred foreign nationals were living in makeshift sites around Dunkirk, Loon-Plage and Grande-Synthe, where informal settlements have existed for roughly two decades.
Officials evacuated 150 people from the settlements in Loon-Plage and on land belonging to the Port of Dunkirk, with 51 accepting accommodation and 16 detained over their immigration status.
Authorities say the operations are aimed at tackling irregular migration and people-smuggling, while humanitarian organisations have criticised repeated camp clearances and the conditions facing migrants.
Small-boat crossings have fallen amid intensified interceptions and police operations, but aid groups warn the journeys are becoming increasingly dangerous as smugglers overcrowd vessels.
French courts are also pursuing cases against suspected cross-border smuggling networks linked to fatal attempted Channel crossings.
Aid organisations around Loon-Plage say families, single women and children now make up a significant share of migrants stranded along the northern French coast, leaving vulnerable groups exposed to exploitation and violence while awaiting opportunities to cross.
Meanwhile, the UK-France ‘one-in, one-out’ scheme continues to face logistical challenges, while plans for a major migrant detention centre at Loon-Plage have encountered legal opposition over planning and safety concerns.
Source: Viory
