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Calais mayor threatens to block port
The mayor of Calais has threatened to block the port unless Britain does more to control the number of illegal migrants there.
After a meeting with France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, Natacha Bouchart told reporters in Paris her city was being ‘taken hostage’ by about 1,300 migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who try to cross the English channel from France.
She said the migrants, who have set up illegal camps at the port, were costing too much money and the UK was not contributing enough.
She said by closing the port, she could make a ‘strong gesture’ to the British Government, said the BBC.
The French government closed the main Red Cross centre at Sangatte near Calais 12 year ago, but since then illegal camps have sprung up.
French police have tried to break up the camps in recent months, but without success.
Millions of British tourists travel through Calais every year.
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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