In the three years that Annie Daniels has been a charity worker in the migrant camps of northern France, she has never seen them as busy as they are now.
“Last year, we would typically have around 600 people living in this camp,” said Daniels, 58, a volunteer with the charity Salam, speaking at a food distribution station at Grande-Synthe, home to one of the biggest camps. “Last week there were more than double that number. When we came to give out food, there was a crush of people coming to the station desperate for something to eat and fighting began to break out.”
Over recent months, politicians on both sides of the Channel have redoubled their efforts to get a handle on small boat crossings.
Annie Daniels at the Grande-Synthe migrant camp
In Britain, a “one in, one out” policy was introduced last month with tougher conditions on those who wish to remain. In France, new policing tactics were adopted and a proposal that would enable officers to intercept boats at sea is under consideration.
