Police dismantle migrant camp in northern France

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – Police dismantled a migrant camp in northern France, a human rights group said on Thursday.

Security forces started to evacuate the camp in the town of Mardyck, near Dunkirk, early in the morning, Utopia 56 announced on Twitter.

"Our volunteers are on the site to remind them that this cycle of violence leads nowhere," the group also tweeted.

After the security forces left, construction machines arrived at the scene to destruct the camp, according to Utopia 56.

The non-governmental organization criticized the French government's policy and said more than 6,000 people have crossed the sea to reach the UK since Jan. 1 despite the measures.

In a bid to prevent the migrants crossing the English Channel from France to the UK, Paris and London signed an agreement last November to boost police patrols on beaches in northern France.

Along with the increased security presence, the two countries also pledged to use more “technological resources,” including drones, to detect and intercept migrant boats.

Northern French cities including Calais, with their ports and the Channel Tunnel, are considered the best crossing point.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March said the UK will contribute £480 million (nearly $580 million) over a three-year period in partnership with France to help tackle illegal migrant crossings through the English Channel.