Three police officers were injured during clashes with migrants Saturday by the French port of Calais.
Calais has become a hotspot for migrants who want to make it to the United Kingdom through the Eurotunnel. Migrants frequently attempt to hijack trucks on the motorway and many “took advantage of the bottleneck to board a few trucks,” according to local deputy police chief Jean-Philippe Vennin.
“Our British colleagues had opened only nine out of 14 lanes this weekend though we expected 9,000 vehicles in the Eurotunnel and 7,500 at the port,” Vennin told AFP.
Police used tear gas to stop migrants and three police officers were reported injured. Police did not comment on whether any migrants were hurt during the clashes.
Calais was home to around 9,000 people in the “Jungle” migrant camp until its demolition last October. Authorities simultaneously moved to construct a 13-foot wall by the motorway to stop make it harder for migrants to access.
President Emmanuel Macron recently proposed a number of measures to stop makeshift camps from appearing around the country.
“For those who are persecuted, for freedom fighters … they must be welcomed on our territory,” Macron said during a speech July 28 in Orleans, according t0 The Times. “Letting them wander from border to border, that is not what France is about. No country can take in all the economic migrants.”
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