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Six years ago, Calais’s infamous Jungle migrant camp was demolished by French police. Today, the camp itself has gone, but the migrants and the smugglers who profit from them remain. In fact, they are more numerous than ever before, with a record number of people attempting to cross the Channel in August 2022. The situation is putting a strain on relations between France and the United Kingdom.
In Calais, we follow the French police patrolling the skies above the coastline. They are finding it increasingly hard to clamp down on migrant crossings. Brexit and the British government’s determination to “take back control” of its borders has only made the issue more tense and complex.
Finally, we head to Lille, a city about 100 kilometres from Calais, to visit a centre offering shelter to those considering the journey, like Mohammed. He wants to be reunited with his brother in Edinburgh.
Source: France 24
