French police evacuates migrants from northern Paris campsite

Reuters

ParisUpdated: Nov 28, 2019, 02:13 PM IST

FILE PHOTO: Migrants and refugees gather their belongings as they prepare for the evacuation of a makeshift camp between Porte de la Villette and Porte de la Chapelle, northern Paris Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

The police said it would be moving between 200-300 people from the illegal site in northern Paris' Porte d'Aubervilliers, and putting them up in shelters

French police started evacuating migrants on Thursday from an illegal campsite in northern Paris, the local police force said in a statement, as the government aims to show it is taking a tougher stance on illegal immigration.

The police said it would be moving between 200-300 people from the illegal site in northern Paris' Porte d'Aubervilliers, and putting them up in shelters.

Since the closure of a huge migrant camp in Calais in 2016, many refugees have moved to Paris. Authorities have repeatedly dismantled illegal campsites only to see them pop up again in different areas a few months later.

Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron's government pledged to clear out some migrant tent camps, impose quotas for migrant workers and deny newly-arrived asylum seekers access to non-urgent healthcare, in a response to voters' concerns about immigration.