You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed hands himself in after one person shot in Wormhout At least five people have been killed in shootings in and around a migrant camp near the northern French city of Dunkirk. A 22-year-old man claiming to be the gunman handed himself to the nearby Ghyvelde police station at 5pm local time on Saturday. The alleged perpetrator told police he killed a person, believed to be 29 years old, in the French town of Wormhout and subsequently took the lives of four others at the Loon-Plage refugee camp. The four victims at the camp were understood to be two security agents and two people residing there, Reuters reported. Authorities found three more weapons in the suspect’s car, French media reported. It was not immediately clear what the motives were for the shootings at Wormhout and Loon-Plage, located about six miles from the Channel. According to the charity Care4Calais, refugees have been camping in the area for years, predominantly “Kurdish or Afghan and including many families with small children”. Boris Johnson appoints supply chain tsar to keep supermarket shelves stocked A 22-year-old man is said to have handed himself in to a police station Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Five people have been killed in shootings in and around a migrant camp near Dunkirk Two migrants and two security agents are among those who have died in Loon-Plage French media said – citing the Direction interdepartementale de la police nationale (DIPN) A 22-year-old man is said to have handed himself in to a police station following the incidents There has been a large emergency service presence at the scene Loon-Plage is home to refugee camps and is near to Calais and the Strait of Dover, the closest point between England and France where thousands of migrants cross the Channel from mainland Europe each year. govt and politics"},{"score":0.68474,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense"},{"score":0.662688,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.651727,"label":"/law govt and politics/immigration"},{"score":0.605833,"label":"/law This section of the website is exclusively reserved for members of the FIM Family: CONUs members and honorary members of the commissions You are a member of the FIM Family and do not have your access? Do not hesitate to contact us Sign in The FIM is also involved in non-sport activities - tourism or sport-related activities such as women in motorcycling sustainability is linked to both sporting and non-sporting areas as is the educational side we are developing to get the new generation on 2 wheels We inform you about all aspects of the motorcycling world You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security. WATCH: Matt Goodwin: Labour is putting migrants ahead of the British people At least four people are understood to have died after a gunman opened fire at a migrant camp in northern France Police have confirmed "multiple murders" were committed at the camp near Dunkirk - while Sky News reports that the incident took place in nearby Loon-Plage was killed outside the migrant camp earlier in the afternoon Armed police had been called to the camp on the town's Mardyck Road on Saturday afternoon to reports of a "lone gunman killing people" The shooting happened in and around Dunkirk - one of the key sites from where migrants depart to Britain The source added: "Four people were shot dead around the camp at Mardyck - two security guards and two migrants." The shooter's first victim is said to have been in his 30s and was "killed in front of his relatives in what looked like a targeted assassination" The gunman and his victims' identities have not immediately been released A 22-year-old male French national claiming to be the gunman then handed himself into police MORE ON THE MIGRANT CRISIS: PICTURED: Migrant tents in Loon-Plage in 2021 (file photo) reports that the victims are "two Kurdish migrants and two port security agents" Authorities found three more weapons in the man's car The local prosecutor's office has not yet commented on the shootings Refugee charity and campaign group Care4Calais says the majority of migrants in the area are "Kurdish or Afghan" in origin A 22-year-old male French national claiming to be the gunman then handed himself into police (file photo) It comes just hours after GB News exclusively revealed that more than 35,000 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year After more than a 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cross before coming to a path that led to what must have once been a farm a house could be seen to the right of a large shed "A good guy," according to a regular at the Relais de la Poste bar in Wormhout that he had a disagreement with him," said Laurie a woman in her fifties who'd come for a glass of mulled wine with friends was that only an hour passed between the shooting in front of the Wormhout farm and the death of four other victims in Loon-Plage a 22-year-old man showed up at the nearby gendarmerie in Ghyvelde claiming responsibility for the five murders You have 74.68% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous 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Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter notre service commercial. A French gunman shot dead two migrants and two security guards at the camp near Dunkirk A migrant survivor of a shooting at a French refugee camp said he saw his friends murdered by the “angel of death” Matin, a 25-year-old Kurdish migrant said “a guy came with a shotgun and showered us with bullets” during the attack on Saturday A 22-year-old French gunman shot dead two migrants and two security guards at the camp in Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, with another victim targeted in a nearby town. “Initially, we thought he would fire in the air and then he loaded the gun and aimed at us. We saw Azrael [the Islamic Angel of Death],” Matin told Sky News. The two victims, named Hamid and Hadi, were walking along with their two friends, Rashad and Matin, when the assailant opened fire. The group, all aged around 25, had just been rescued from the English Channel by French police after their dinghy collapsed on the way to Britain. He said the group was rescued after falling into the sea without life jackets and had returned to land to get dry clothes from a charity as they were “dying of cold”. “The gunman came and, all of sudden, drew a shotgun. We saw death with our own eyes. It was God’s will that we survived. In one day, we saw death twice,” he said. He said the gunman fired around 15 bullets and his friend Hamid was hit in the head as he and Rashad managed to hide. A 22-year-old man claiming to be the assassin handed himself to the nearby Ghyvelde police station at 5pm local time on Saturday. Authorities found three more weapons in the suspect’s car, French media reported. It was not immediately clear what the motives were for the shootings. Refugees have been camping in the area for years, predominantly “Kurdish or Afghan and including many families with small children”, according to the charity Care4Calais, Loon-Plage is home to refugee camps and is near to Calais and the Strait of Dover, the closest point between England and France where thousands of migrants cross the Channel from mainland Europe each year. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/in_news/in_world/image/gallery_mpu_sb","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Hundreds of migrants camp along the coast in, Loon-Plage, Dunkirk, France. 28.05.23","description":"Migrants camp along the coast near Loon-Plage, Dunkirk (Alamy/PA)","caption":"Migrants camp along the coast near Loon-Plage, Dunkirk (Alamy/PA) Migrants camp along the coast near Loon-Plage, Dunkirk (Alamy/PA) govt and politics"},{"score":0.768951,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.673657,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/homicide"},{"score":0.596101,"label":"/family and parenting/children"},{"score":0.593237,"label":"/travel/transports/sea travel"},{"score":0.580824,"label":"/law govt and politics/armed forces"},{"score":0.565976,"label":"/law The FIM is also involved in non-sport activities - tourism, rallies and leisure, mobility, or sport-related activities such as women in motorcycling, technical, medical and legal aspects. Finally, sustainability is linked to both sporting and non-sporting areas, as is the educational side we are developing to get the new generation on 2 wheels. In a change to the calendar, the third round of the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup will now be staged on 26-27 October in Loon Plage, France, as part of the Ronde des Sables de Loon Plage, round two of the French Sand Races Championship. This event replaces the Weston Beach Race in Great Britain that was originally scheduled for 12-13 October. Updated calendar 02-04 February – Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais (FRA) – FFM23-25 February – Enduro del Verano (ARG) – CAMOD26-27 October – Ronde des Sables de Loon Plage (FRA) – FFM01-03 November – Bibione Sand Storm (ITA) – FMI22-24 November – Monte Gordo Sand Race (POR) – FMP30 November-01 December – Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton (FRA) – FFM You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. AT least five people including two security guards have reportedly been killed in a shooting spree at a French migrant camp near Dunkirk. The horror shooting took place in Loon-Plage before a person claiming to be the gunman turned himself in, French media reports. Special forces police were first called to the camp on Saturday afternoon after reports of "a lone gunman killing people", said an investigating source. They identified the self-confessed killer as Paul D., a 22-year-old from Dunkirk who claimed to be a "former colleague" of the dead security guards. Paul D. is said to have gone on a shooting spree around an area full of asylum seekers sleeping rough. Four of his victims died around a makeshift camp at Loon-Plage where small boats packed with migrants set off for to the UK from the English Channel beach there. One other victim, reportedly a transport manager, was shot dead before the attack. All those killed received "precise shots to the head, suggesting the killer had a lot of experience with firearms", said an investigating source. The source added: "Four people were shot dead around the camp at Mardyck – two security guards and two migrants. "The gunman is also said to have shot a transport manager earlier in the afternoon." The killer is first thought to have opened fire in Wormhout and then he went inside and shot a 29-year-old public transport manager dead in front of his family He then drove towards Loon-Plage in his car where he reportedly shot two Iraqi Kurd migrants in the head Two security guards working for Eamus Cork Security a company that helps safeguard Dunkirk port They had been travelling in their own vehicle but the alleged killer asked them to get out The man then drove some eight miles to the coastal town of Ghyvelde a spokesman for Ghyvelde gendarmes said the man "was not known to police" suggesting he had no previous criminal record He now remains in custody and faces murder charges and he was the legal owner of a Smith and Wesson 44 Remington rifle ‘I cannot understand how this could have happened.’ There are frequent reports of gun and knife violence by people smugglers around the migrant camps in northern France Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ French media said – citing the Direction Interdepartementale de la police nationale (DIPN) There has reportedly been a large emergency service presence at the scene Loon-Plage is home to refugee camps and is near Calais and the Strait of Dover the closest point between England and France where thousands of migrants cross the Channel from mainland Europe each year Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News Listen as Daniel Hewitt exposes the UK's dirty secret Five people have been killed in a series of shootings in northern France with a 22-year-old man surrendering to police two security guards and two migrants—were fatally shot near the Loon-Plage migrant camp according to unnamed security sources cited in French outlets The suspect later confessed to a separate earlier shooting in Wormhout Weapons were reportedly discovered in the suspect’s vehicle but his motive remains unclear Dunkirk Mayor Patrice Vergriete described the events as a “tragedy,” adding “An individual coldly murdered several people.” The attacks have drawn significant police and emergency response near the Loon-Plage camp though details about whether the shootings occurred inside the settlement remain uncertain is home to several temporary migrant settlements often used by individuals attempting to cross the Channel to the UK via small boats Early morning inferno razes shops in Dugbe market Ibadan Russia carried out cyber attacks in our country – France Nnadozie nominated for best goalkeeper award in France Britain urge Israel to allow aid into Gaza Tinubu arrives in Abuja after visit to France Tinubu returns from France amid criticism over insecurity Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd Two security agents and two migrants have been killed in a shooting in Loon-Plage near the northern city of Dunkirk A 22-year-old man turned himself in to nearby authorities following the shooting He said he had been the attacker and had also killed a fifth person in a nearby town earlier that day Authorities found three more weapons in the man's car Representatives for the Interior Ministry and the Justice Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment It was not immediately clear what the motives were for the shooting located about 10 kilometres from the English Channel Sophie Watt receives funding from the BA Leverhulme Small Grants and HEIF from the University fo Sheffield University of Sheffield provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK View all partners I was warned by a French Egyptian not to cross the channel not to go to the UK and to try to stay in France … But I have not escaped the police brutality from my country the crossing of the Mediterranean and the ‘jungle’ in France for nothing It is 7am and I’m sitting in Pierre Lascoux’s old van with his dog has dedicated the past two years of his life to helping refugees Every morning for four weeks we have talked about the plight of refugees in the Loon Plage camp in Dunkirk’s industrial zone Lascoux recently finished a 42-day hunger strike in order to raise awareness about the awful living conditions endured by the migrant population at the border I volunteered in French refugee camps in Dunkrik and Calais in the summer of 2023 It was part of my fieldwork and research around the concept of “hospitality” at different militarised border zones While I was in the camps I witnessed police violence and saw refugees cramming on a boat that was clearly not big enough to take them I heard guns being fired and moved among the smuggling gangs and mafia in charge of the crossings hearing stories from people who had been through hell in their own countries and on the journey to France They had come this far and they were determined to finish their journey we survey the horizon for French riot police the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) who frequently come early in the morning to dismantle the camp Faced by a mound of rubbish at the entrance (because the local authorities refuse to provide a skip) Lascoux waits every morning to provide aid to the refugees when they get thrown out the police dismantle Loon Plage every two weeks and the Calais camps every two days Lascoux lets people leave their personal belongings in his van so the cleaning company which accompanies the police doesn’t throw away all their cherished belongings During the last evacuation the police forcibly removed Lascoux from the camp and illegally confiscated his van The camp is reminiscent of the infamous Calais Jungle I will never forget the image of a group of people walking back to the camp in the early hours of the morning One couple pushed a supermarket trolley with two young children who must have been younger than five-years-old and who were drenched and haggard They must have walked at least a dozen kilometres from the beach where they had probably stayed for days before trying to climb into the rubber dinghy Everyone there tries several times before being successful and each time they fail they have to trudge back to the camp Loon Plage is a series of wild camps; they cannot really be called refugee camps. Refugee camps are usually places run by state organisations or charities; places where people can seek sanctuary and, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) It does not matter how hostile the state tried to make it here If anything they are going to keep coming more because France is such a hostile place that they try to move through it and out Lascoux is currently regaining his strength It is a small victory but the fight must go on It is intolerable to see human beings treated worse than animals in France in the 21st century I use the term “refugee” instead of the negative term of “migrant” because on the camps there are both categories But the people I met all sought refuge from desperate circumstances and should all be deserving of protection I wanted to see what was happening with my own eyes and speak with both volunteers and refugees: to hear their stories directly and gain a better understanding of these highly contentious border areas – all of which are linked to the highly politicised migration argument between France and the UK According to the UK government, in the year ending September 2023, 37,556 people arrived in the UK in small boats which sailed from the northern coast of France the population of Loon Plage fluctuated from around 300 in June to 2,000 in August depending on appropriate weather conditions for attempting a crossing These numbers were based on the number of meals that were distributed by Salam each day and Lascoux’s knowledge of the camp What I witnessed during my stay on the camps is that securing the borders does not prevent people from crossing – everyone crosses But violence and danger were just a daily reality inside the camps I soon realised that the Loon Plage was run by Iraqi-Kurdish smugglers, who have also infiltrated the town of Grande Synthe and have a monopoly on boat crossings on this part of the Pas de Calais coast The mafia-like organisation they belong to is structured and runs quite smoothly maintain the camp and feed the refugees who have paid for an “all-inclusive” passage These “permanents” are people who have decided to remain in the region to control who comes and goes The shops are small stalls at the entrance of the camp where food and cigarettes are sold whose families have sold everything or who have more financial means will manage to pay for the whole journey from their country of origin to the UK This category of people do not usually stay long in camps because their journey has already been negotiated and paid for from the outset The shops are sometimes used as payment points and also act as relays for les petites mains The little hands include recruiters who generally work between Calais and Grande-Synthe to recruit refugees who have arrived alone and who want to make the crossing and the “organisers” who accompany each convoy of refugees on the beach on the night of the crossing and who stay with them while waiting for the boats I learned from my interviews that the smuggling network has many recruiters working from other towns and countries in Africa and in the Middle East They also recruit refugees to pilot the boats so at times they get paid in addition to getting a free crossing which they normally use to transport belongings the shop owners set up a wood fire and two large black cast-iron kettles and heat the water for the coffee on a blackened grate The pungent smell from the fire is due to the hydro-alcoholic gel and plastic crates they use for fuel They ask if we want to join them for a coffee These men would often come and ask me to eat with them or join them for mugs of tea but it is also to check out who I am and to figure out what I’m doing there The shop “owners” and the little hands are suspicious of everyone Human trafficking brings in huge sums of money for smugglers operating out of Paris But the fact that I’m volunteering for Salam to distribute meals quells some of their suspicions There is little freedom in the camp and each refugee is attached to a recruiter The traffickers have claimed different parts of the beaches along the coast and compete with each other in order to gain more custom Once the refugees have paid their passage (between €800 and €4,500 the smuggler allocates them a convoy “team” which often waits in the woods near the beach for several days before attempting to cross who tried to cross while I was there and whom I interviewed both in Calais and when he arrived in the UK There were 55 people in my convoy and in the forest there were more than 250 people who waited for four days because there were five smugglers who had their group the weather was bad and the waves were rough Many families and children transit via Loon Plage rather than Calais where conditions are even more harsh due to more frequent police evacuations I tried three times to cross but only paid once Each time we were waiting in the woods for hours and even days before the crossing the refugees are surrounded by the little hands who keep an eye on them and tell them what to do The convoys are also infiltrated by the gangs to ensure that the refugees are not working for the police or informing journalists the convoys mix nationalities and therefore prices Sub-Saharan Africans pay less (between €800 and €1,200) than the Vietnamese or Albanians who can pay up to €4,500 and who have arrived in the north of France as part of their own smuggling networks There are few sub-Saharan Africans at Loon Plage and they are often recruited as the boat pilots or as recruiters Making sure that a group of sub-Saharan Africans gets on board despite the fact that they can usually only afford minimum price allows the pilot to remain unidentified once in Dover The pilot is often therefore a refugee who did not have any other means to pay for the crossing and who has very limited experience in steering boats This network of people trafficking can only exist and be extremely lucrative because the French and the British governments have not agreed to establish safe passages between France and the UK and are determined to invest in “securing” the border instead It was difficult to get close to refugees in the camp because being seen talking to me could put them at risk A few of the interviews I undertook with refugees I met in the camp took place in the UK once they had crossed Each talked about the violence at night and the fact that the Kurdish mafia is heavily armed While on the camp I heard gunshots several times and was told they were “just shooting rats” I had to get out and wait in the woods because in the evenings once the NGOs and charities are gone the smugglers and little hands talk and argue and get their guns out; so I used to wait until they went to sleep In May 2022, two Iraqi men were shot in the camp and one died from his wounds. In February 2023 another Iraqi man was shot and seriously injured Smugglers are taking risks with the lives of refugees, by forcing them in ever more dangerous numbers on to boats which cannot handle them in order to escape the French police. In fact, in the year ending September 2023, there was an average of 48 people per small boat which was higher than the previous year (37) and much higher than earlier years – in 2020 there were 13 per small boat in 2019 11 and in 2018 the number was seven The most recent victim is a seven-year-old girl, named Roula, who died while crossing the Channel with her pregnant mother More frequent boat crossings began in 2018 after a few successful attempts were made in 2017 following the dismantlement of the Calais Jungle in 2016 They gradually replaced the crossings in lorries which had become too dangerous and almost impossible due to new technology employed by border police I patrolled the coast around Boulogne-Sur-Mer at night with Osmose 62 Charity founders and volunteers Dany Patous and Olivier Moctar Barbès patrol the coast most nights before going to work They explained how the smugglers were changing their techniques to adjust to the increased policing The latest technique is called “taxi boat” refugees are told to wait in the water at different locations along the coast to stop the police from chasing them The boats then pick up the groups at sea the same night and end up cramming in more people and taking longer as well as car parks near beaches; being on the lookout for any signs of refugees and on constant alert for the police For me it was high in adrenaline and emotion because the objective was to help refugees who had failed to cross while at the same time making sure not to reveal their presence to the authorities Before I arrived at the rendezvous point at 4am I saw a big group of refugees roaming the streets of Boulogne and I told Barbès Barbès said: “They have learned the art of making themselves invisible because of the chase with the police forces.” After patrolling the town we drove along the coast and stopped at different beaches where we met a group of French police They asked us for ID and told us that they were looking for a large group that was hiding in the nearby woods we stopped for a group of young Syrian men who needed hot drinks and food before going back to Calais on foot we watched as 40 people crammed on a small inflatable zodiac boat leaving the coast in the early hours of the morning at around 6am We arrived just after the boat had left but the police officers present told us that the departure had been chaotic with women and children shouting The boat had a problem with the motor and was progressing slowly in circles It looked so flimsy and so small and was taking so long to reach the open sea that one of the police officers said that they would never make it This boat was later rescued by the coastguard because it had started sinking. They did not reach British waters this time. According to the refugees I interviewed and some volunteers, departures are extremely traumatic, because they are all fighting to get on board as quickly as possible when there is not enough space to accommodate everyone. Marie, from Refugee Women Center It is not uncommon for the little hands to throw women overboard when the boat is too crowded And DM Boss told me: “I retrieved a little boy by the leg while he was being stepped on by people jumping on board.” When I was in Calais I met a Sudanese refugee a professor in political science at the University of Khartoum They had been separated from the baby’s mother and the couple’s two other children while trying to get on board a boat He was caught by the police and had been prevented from crossing with the rest of his family He has been staying in a refuge house ever since and has tried to cross with his baby dozens of times with no success while his wife and other two boys are near London Many refugees travel between Calais and Loon Plage in order to negotiate their crossing In Calais I interviewed around 20 volunteers and refugees in safe places but I could only interview one refugee away from the camp in Grande-Synthe and a few others in my car Since the dismantling of the big jungle, the mayor of Calais, Natasha Bouchard, has tried everything to deter refugees from arriving in the region to the extent that she managed to obtain the right to forbid food and water distribution in September 2020 Partly because of this more arduous environment the “jungles” in Calais are smaller and usually populated by younger men and teenagers The camps are grouped by nationality, which means that the tensions are not always as high as in Loon Plage. I informally talked with a few Afghan people who had to leave Afghanistan because they had been working for the British and American forces as translators and saw their lives put at risk after the recent withdrawal of the British forces in the region I managed to interview five people from Guinea Iran and Sudan and found a smaller camp of Francophone Africans within the Sudanese camp who did not want to be interviewed but who were proud to show me their survival skills They were cooking when I arrived and although their tents were deep in mud they had managed to build a common area for eating with a roof made of wood and recycled tent material had been through Ceuta or Melilla together (Spanish enclaves in Morocco) where the living conditions were even more dangerous and precarious than on the French northern border and they were talking about their journey through Morocco like they were war veterans They had managed to climb over the three six-metre high border fences despite being wounded and under attack from both the Moroccan and Spanish police forces They were proud and felt invincible and spoke like an army of child soldiers ready to conquer the world a city in Guinea’s south-eastern forest region took me to his camp after our first interview in my car He was proud to show me that they had built a “Francophone corner” within the Sudanese camp He introduced me to all his friends one by one who shook my hand and asked me if I wanted to stay and eat with them They were all from different parts of West Africa – Burkina-Faso Ivory Coast – and they were proud of their journey but were tired of staying in Calais where they had been for several months I managed to climb the three walls in Ceuta with a broken hand after seven years on the road and in the desert going through Mali I should have stayed in Spain but I needed to try for the UK it was difficult for him to make a case for political asylum in France Kevin and his “crew” had just survived another eviction They had managed to hide their belongings along the railway tracks within the Sudanese camp Kevin remembers suffering from the effects of “tear gas that had been launched inside the tent” a few weeks earlier I was asleep when they sprayed tear gas inside the tent and my lungs burnt for hours afterwards I could not use the covers I had because of the smell This smell is impossible to get rid off so I had to find another blanket The mayor’s policy since 2008 is ruthless and relentless: evacuated every two days and chased from any public spaces the refugees are mentally and physically exhausted “We try crossing by trucks or by boats every night so during the day we sleep but the police usually come and force you out of your tent You have to be quick and get all your papers with you otherwise everything is destroyed refugees in Calais often don’t have the financial means to pay for a crossing with the Kurdish mafia and thus access the Calais network of smugglers who are mostly Sudanese and North-African and who are less organised and less reliable because they use cheaper This network is a lot less safe than the Kurdish one and if you fail the crossing they often keep your money Kevin negotiated his passage from €1,200 to €800 with Kurdish smugglers It took him four months to make the money he needed because he told me: “I could not work as recruiter for them because all my friends are poor so I had to do small jobs to save that money.” Kevin finally crossed in August 2023 with a convoy of people which left from the beach called Graveline They had to wait for four days before setting off the wind was very strong and another boat capsized under my eyes I don’t think I will ever go back on a boat in my life Everyone was shouting and crying especially the women and the children who were terrified because of the waves Somebody wanted to jump and we had to stop him and someone else fell in the water we just had time to catch him and drag him back on the boat I stayed at the front of the boat with my friend and a lot of us wanted to go back the camp had not been evacuated for a month I witnessed the camp evacuating itself because people could not stand the anticipation of the police forces coming to dismantle the camp I arrived at 7am only to see a long line of people pushing supermarket trolleys full of their belongings to another part of the industrial zone along the canal They had internalised the process so much that it was just easier to “self-evacuate” instead of living with the anxiety of the police arriving in the early hours of the morning When I asked one refugee why he was moving everything he said: every morning I think they are going to come and they don’t come The evacuations are performative in the sense they fulfil the role the French government plays in order to justify the sums of money being paid by the UK government to secure the border – despite the fact most refugees come back to the exact same settlements after the evacuation and will cross eventually A new anti-immigration law passed by the French parliament on December 19 2023 will do little to ease the climate of suspicion and fear which surrounds the refugee debate in both the UK and France For you: more from our Insights series: GP crisis: how did things go so wrong, and what needs to change? Would better buildings help fix the NHS? The story of Britain’s hospitals, from grand designs to counting the costs ‘It’s like being in a warzone’ – A&E nurses open up about the emotional cost of working on the NHS frontline To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter Guardian photographer David Levene visited northern France after twenty-seven people drowned in the Channel last week as they attempted to make the perilous crossing from France to Britain across busy shipping lanes in a dinghy that deflated in the open sea After a previous camp was destroyed by French authorities last week, a new one sprang up on disused railway tracks near to Grand-Synthe, a suburb of Dunkirk. A man tries to keep warm. Heating at the site was provided only by open fires on nights where the temperature regularly dropped below zero degrees. Two men carry logs back to their camp to build a shelter where they intend to sell cooked food A candlelit vigil is held at Parc Richelieu, Calais on Thursday evening to remember the people who lost their lives when their dinghy capsized while trying to reach the UK People charge mobile phones with equipment provided by Care4Calais, a charity which helps with food, hot drinks, power and charging stations, games and a grooming station Soap and mug on the floor at a migrant camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk. The camp was used by several hundred people, mostly Kurds from Iraq or Iran, hoping to travel illegally to the UK. Mahan, 2, with his mother, Gwan, 28, from Sulaymaniyah, Kurdish Iraq, at a camp near Loon-Plage and Grande-Synthe Sands blow across the beach at Plage du Braek. Few, if any, crossings were attempted in the days after the disaster due to the worsening weather conditions Protesters demonstrate near Calais town hall after a meeting between Gérald Darmanin, the minister of the interior, and other EU ministers People wait by the roadside near Loon-Plage. Many of those trying to make the dangerous sea crossing have friends or family in Britain who will help with the £2,000 to £3,000 fee paid to people smugglers An occupant returns to their tent at a camp near the Auchan supermarket, near Grand-Synthe. People had only been camping in the canal-side area for a couple of weeks, after a larger and better-equipped location was demolished on the orders of the French interior minister, Gerald Darmanin A man cooks a meal of fried fish on an open fire laid out on disused rail tracks. Migrants occupy a handful of smaller camps around Calais and Dunkirk, often dominated by particular nationalities People carry supplies and their possessions at a camp near Loon-Plage. The basic site had no toilets or running water A child’s toy car is left outside a tent. An informal camp, known as the Jungle, was demolished and shut down by the French authorities in 2016 Mala Rachman, who was living in a camp in Dunkirk, becomes upset after hearing the news of someone who died in the Channel crossing. Sarah Ali shelters with her 1-year-old son Maleek, from Sulaymaniyah in Kurdish Iraq Men shave and cut hair with equipment provided by the charity Care4Calais A shoe is left in the sands of Plage du Braek, near Loon-Plage A man prepares a drink while camped beside railway tracks near Loon-Plage. Charity workers say the camps are subject to regular raids by French police, with tents slashed or taken away, as well as being closed down when they are deemed to have become too large Migrants numbers near Dunkirk had more than doubled from an estimated 400 to more than 1,000 – the total swelled by Belarus’s decision to open its borders to migrants from Iraq Volunteers make hot drinks for people at a camp in Dunkirk People walk by the roadside near Loon-Plage. No refugee centre has existed in northern France since the UK and France reached an agreement that involved the closure of Sangatte camp in 2002 Reporting by Pascal Rossignol and Noemie Olive; Writing by Lea Guedj; Editing by Richard Lough and Mark Heinrich Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved The Iraqi Kurdish man, who has not been identified, was taken to hospital after being hit in the leg at the camp in Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, in the early hours of Thursday. His life is not in danger, according to La Voix du Nord, a regional newspaper. It was the fourth shooting in or around the camp reported to police since the start of October. The victims have all been Kurds, mainly from Iraq, and most were shot in the leg. The shootings come amid turf wars between smuggling networks vying for control of the lucrative trade. The main networks around Dunkirk are Today's print edition Home Delivery The article you have been looking for has expired and is no longer available on our system A migrant found shot in northern France died of his wounds overnight on the side of the A16 road near the town of Grande-Synthe," said Charlotte Hutet "This man was living in a migrant camp near to the spot where he was found" at Loon-Plage saying his identity had yet to be confirmed a 33-year-old Iraqi also believed to be living in the camp Police opened an investigation into the shooting Up to 600 migrants currently live in camps around Dunkirk according to Claire Millot of the Salam aid group The area has long been a jumping-off point for people attempting irregular crossings to Britain which has poured resources into police cooperation with France in a bid to halt arrivals Beach race ace Todd Kellett pushed through the pain barrier to second place at the PRO HEXIS Sand Race in France at the weekend with team-mate Milko Potisek taking the victory Kellett is still not fully recovered from an ankle break sustained three months ago and has had little bike time to prepare but despite the pain the three-time Weston winner put in two excellent 60-minute motos to finish 4-2 for second overall at Loon-Plage "It was an honour to be at the PRO HEXIS Sand Race today," said the 23-year-old "Only two weeks on the bike we knew it was going to be difficult Race one was a challenge from the get-go but managed to pull it together and get it across the line for second in the final [race] Completing two one-hour motos at this stage in my recovery "Big thank you to everyone who has got my back to where I am today its not been easy and we have more work to do but its a steady start." 31-year-old Frenchman Potisek dominated both races for a perfect start to the season "Victory in both races today at Loon beach great preparation race we take note of the information and we continue to work for the goal," said local hero Potisek Kellett will now turn his focus to preparing for the legendary Le Touquet beach race which is set for January 24 The ACU and Portsmouth MXC have announced an agreement that will see one of the oldest motocross clubs return to the ACU in 2021 British professional motocross rider Jake Millward will race for Verde Substance KTM in 2021 the team has confirmed in a short announcement that also revealed his team-mates for next season Gabriel Motocross has confirmed their three-rider roster for the 2021 season with John Adamson Liam Knight and Josh Peters all returning for another term © 2024 WW Magazines All rights reserved. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions The Loon Plage Beachcross takes place on September 25 on the French coast near Dunkirk Each class has three 20-minute races with classes for MX1 Registration is €95 or €145 which includes day licence but does not repatriation insurance UK riders can register with Tony Nash via tony@bxuk.co.uk and complete registration on September 24 at documentation Some top riders who have already signed up include Camille Chapeliere In the Quad class Shekdon Seal is representing the UK The Under 11s enjoyed a fantastic experience away in Loon-Plage France over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and were all filled with massive amounts of energy and excitement the boys enjoyed a few games of pool and cards meaning we had four games against Coulogne The day started with a healthy French breakfast and we then proceeded to have a walk around the massively impressive facilities This was followed by three more 4G pitches which the boys (and coaches) played multiple times over the weekend the players remained true to our principles and played some incredible football against massively unknown opposition to carve out opportunities which the players did fantastically with Harry scoring a great free kick versus Coulogne as my pick of the bunch Day two saw our last game of the initial group The game saw us qualify for the Champions League and in this group we were drawn against our British friends and last year’s winners Kent Schools as we had qualified in second place in the previous group but the players continued their fantastic level of performance with their movement ability to play under pressure and play in the final third being of exceptional quality Following a tight game against last year’s winners and an unfortunate loss on penalties following a draw the boys were knocked out by a single point but the club we are part of involves the development of players in a long-term process with the focus being on their performance to develop their skills for when players are fully matured Myself and Danny were extremely proud of the boys as they did throughout the whole tournament It’s great to see our team develop into such talented footballers Creating memories is a huge part of football A special highlight for us was a great game of football played against Kent Schools Both teams battled hard and played some great football It was great to see two teams show such respect for each other too as the game started with a handshake and finished with one Our final day finished with our play-off games and the players were still as up for it as they were on the first day where the boys played fantastically on a carpet of a pitch The one and two touch combinations were a class above the rest Following this was a game against Gravelines we had discussed staying true to our principles no matter the opposition and utilising all of the space to our advantage which proved crucial as we had to unlock their defence we had to draw the defence out to create spaces for the front three to exploit and they did this ever so well we faced the hosts Loon-Plage on a fantastic 4G pitch circled by a running track as all of the locals had swarmed around to support their team along with our friends Kent Schools who were cheering the players on the game was celebrated by players from both teams doing the Icelandic clap with a Loon-Plage parent it was great to see the players socialising with a team from another country not even letting a language barrier get in the way the best part followed as the players finished off with a water fight in the 25+ degree heat of Northern France the tournament was a great experience for both the players and the coaches and it was great to see the players grow closer and bond The social aspect of this tournament played a massive part as players were on top of each other every moment of the day I’m really happy to see how these players have developed into great people over the past two years and how the newer players have established their position within this squad The players were a credit to the club and their parents as they were fantastic on and off the pitch and I can’t think of any more superlatives to use to describe the football in which they played who won Top Goalscorer at the tournament too This is the second year a TNS Player has won this award and Harry showed great determination and quality in the final third all weekend This well deserved award was celebrated by the whole team as they had played a massive contribution in providing chances for Harry