Several mayors of municipalities located on the Channel coast met on Friday November 8 to agree on “ten” of proposals to present to the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, indicated the various right-wing mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart.
With migrant departures increasingly scattered across the French coast, mayors faced with this “humanitarian crisis” criticize the State for its silence, while 2024 is by far the deadliest year in the Channel. At least 60 candidates for exile have died and others have disappeared at sea in clandestine crossings to England since January.
Concrete measures expected
Unless they are received before, the transpartisan collective intends to present them during the Congress of Mayors which will be held from November 19 in Paris. For “recover tranquility across the entire coastal strip”the mayors propose the appointment of a prefect for immigration.
The mayor without label of Equihen-Plage, Christian Fourcroy, also mentioned a “big problem” : the saturation of the bus network, used both by residents and migrants trying to reach the beaches. “We are trying at the community and urban level to provide additional buses, but for the moment, it is our responsibility, the State does not help us”he indicates, noting a “fed up” of his fellow citizens.
No news from the Minister of the Interior
“We have not yet had any news from Bruno Retailleauhe prefers to worry about football matches than immigration »he lamented. “The State must also undertake new negotiations with certainly the British State”underlined the mayor of Ambleteuse, Stéphane Pinto. “The priority for us is to meet the minister”.
Estimating the number of deaths at 65 since the start of the year, a record, Ms. Bouchart deplored “let us trivialize these daily dramas” : “It no longer concerns anyone that dead people, women, children are being fished out”.
She wished “a reflection to see how we are able to prevent them from gaining access” to the beaches to embark in makeshift boats, and a strengthening of the fight against smuggling networks.
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