Natacha Bouchart, mayor (DVD) of Calais, said on BFMTV on Tuesday 17 September that she is “suffering” the sometimes fatal crossings of the Channel by migrants and is calling for resources. The elected official is proposing in particular an “experiment” on the Opal Coast.
“Have strong proposals to prevent arrivals on the coast, crossings and shipwrecks”. Natacha Bouchart, mayor (DVD) of Calais and guest of RMC-BFMTV this Tuesday, September 17, warned of the migratory situation that her city faces on a daily basis.
In recent weeks, numerous migrant crossings of the Channel have been observed on the coast, which is located just 60 kilometres from the British coast. 2024 is already the deadliest year in history for shipwrecks of these makeshift boats.
46 migrants have drowned since the beginning of the year. 12 people died on September 3, after an attempted crossing, off Cap Gris-Nez. This weekend, on September 15, eight other migrants lost their lives in the sea separating France and Great Britain.
Re-establish the offence of residence?
Faced with this situation, the mayor of Calais is calling for resources and commitment from the future government. “Today, we are subjected to things, we are not heard. There must be proposals,” warns Natacha Bouchart.
“It is imperative that we re-examine the offence of illegal residence on the coastal strip, we need an experiment to remove these exiled people, to prevent them from drowning,” she declared on BFMTV.
This measure, “constitutional until 2012”, according to her, then abolished under the presidency of François Hollande, was reintroduced as part of the immigration law in December 2023. Finally, the Constitutional Council had, among other things, censored this passage of the law which had never come into force.
“I have firmness and I have humanity”
Alongside this proposal, which according to the mayor of Calais aims to “remove these exiled people and prevent them from drowning”, Natacha Bouchart calls for the creation of a humanitarian reception center. “I have firmness and I have humanity. That is my difference with the National Rally”, she assures.
A place that could “welcome these people who plan to go to England and study their situation”. If the councilor does not adopt the term “refugee camp”, she calls for “thinking” about this idea to put an end to the “inhumane conditions” in which migrants find themselves in Calais.
“If we could create this place outside the coastal strip, it would allow us to accommodate them temporarily and see how the British accept them in a legal and regulatory manner,” assures Natacha Bouchart.
Between “1,500 and 2,000 migrants” are currently present in the territory of the commune of Calais. During the night of Friday 13 to Saturday 14 September, 200 people were rescued in 24 hours off the coast of Pas-de-Calais.
