https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed French police are inflicting misery on migrants in the northern port of Calais, routinely tearing down their tents and forcing them to wander the streets as part of a deterrence policy, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211007/french-police-cause-misery-for-migrants-in-calais Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:30:43 +0200 french-police-cause-misery-for-migrants-in-calais The city of Calais in northern France inaugurated its extended port on Thursday after six years of construction work. Authorities hope to attract British tourists with more frequent ferries and tax-free sales. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210910/duty-free-and-frequent-ferries-french-port-of-calais-unveils-e863-million-revamp Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:26:54 +0200 duty-free-and-frequent-ferries-french-port-of-calais-unveils-e863-million-revamp The mayor of Calais has outlined plans to create duty-free stores throughout the town to take advantage of Brexit - but there are actually lots of reasons to visit this lovely northern French town apart from cheap booze and fags. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150814/five-reasons-you-really-should-visit-calais Fri, 14 Aug 2015 17:26:37 +0200 five-reasons-you-really-should-visit-calais France and Britain reopened cross-Channel travel on Wednesday December 23 after a 48-hour ban to curb the spread of a new coronavirus variant but London has warned it could take days for thousands of trucks blocked around the port of Dover to get moving. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201224/thousands-of-trucks-mass-at-dover-in-cross-channel-chaos Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:26:07 +0100 thousands-of-trucks-mass-at-dover-in-cross-channel-chaos The mayor of the French port city of Calais on Thursday told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to "calm down" and change strategy in dealing with migrants crossing from France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200814/french-mayor-tells-uks-boris-johnson-to-calm-down-over-migrant-crossings Fri, 14 Aug 2020 11:41:15 +0200 french-mayor-tells-uks-boris-johnson-to-calm-down-over-migrant-crossings The number of migrants trying to smuggle across the Channel from France to Britain by boat has fallen sharply after a spike late last year, authorities in northern France said late on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190406/channel-migrant-crossings-in-sharp-decline-france Sat, 06 Apr 2019 11:24:50 +0200 channel-migrant-crossings-in-sharp-decline-france An ongoing protest by French customs officers, who say France isn't ready for Brexit, continued to cause major disruption around Calais on Wednesday. There were also delays to Eurostar services as officials launched similar protests at Gare du Nord. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190306/600-lorry-tail-back-road-chaos-hits-calais-as-brexit-protest-continues Wed, 06 Mar 2019 17:24:34 +0100 600-lorry-tail-back-road-chaos-hits-calais-as-brexit-protest-continues French customs officials warned of lengthy delays at the port of Calais on Tuesday as their strike to demand greater resources to deal with the impact of Brexit, snarled traffic for a second day, leading to queues of trucks measuring several kilometres (miles). https://www.thelocal.fr/20190305/french-customs-brexit-causes-major-disruption-at-calais Tue, 05 Mar 2019 13:15:00 +0100 french-customs-brexit-causes-major-disruption-at-calais Long traffic jams formed on Monday at French Channel ports after customs officers staged a work-to-rule strike to press demands for extra staff and more pay ahead of Britain's departure from the EU. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190304/traffic-jams-as-french-customs-officials-strike-over-brexit Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:31:33 +0100 traffic-jams-as-french-customs-officials-strike-over-brexit Migrants hoping to reach Britain scrambled aboard a cross-Channel ferry in the northern French port of Calais, sparking a vast police sweep of the ship, officials said Sunday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190303/migrants-scramble-aboard-calais-ferry-sparking-police-sweep Sun, 03 Mar 2019 14:27:31 +0100 migrants-scramble-aboard-calais-ferry-sparking-police-sweep French police cleared 1,800 migrants from a makeshift camp near Dunkirk on Tuesday, hoping to deter people-traffickers seeking to smuggle them across the Channel to Britain. https://www.thelocal.fr/20181023/france-clears-1800-migrants-from-northern-camp-dunkirk Tue, 23 Oct 2018 17:05:35 +0200 france-clears-1800-migrants-from-northern-camp-dunkirk Thousands of people attended rallies Saturday across Europe to show support for migrant rescue ship Aquarius, stuck in port in the French city of Marseille after Panama revoked its flag. https://www.thelocal.fr/20181007/thousands-gather-across-europe-to-back-migrant-rescue-ship-stuck-in-marseille-port Sun, 07 Oct 2018 04:46:17 +0200 thousands-gather-across-europe-to-back-migrant-rescue-ship-stuck-in-marseille-port A French city cancelled a planned vegan festival Friday citing fears of public disorder, in a move organisers blamed on threats from "hunters and farmers", as distrust of meat-free activism simmers in the traditionally carnivorous country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180825/french-city-cans-vegan-festival-after-farmer-threats Sat, 25 Aug 2018 10:39:29 +0200 french-city-cans-vegan-festival-after-farmer-threats Five Iranian migrants attempting to reach Britain aboard a makeshift boat were rescued Saturday morning off the northern coast of France, officials said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180526/five-iranian-migrants-found-drifting-off-french-coast Sat, 26 May 2018 19:17:27 +0200 five-iranian-migrants-found-drifting-off-french-coast The northern English Channel port of Calais, the gateway to the UK, could see tailbacks up to 30 miles long in all directions after Brexit, the port's chief has warned as he pleads to Britain and the EU to take steps to avoid border chaos. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180309/calais-port-could-see-30-mile-long-tailbacks-after-brexit Fri, 09 Mar 2018 18:28:57 +0100 calais-port-could-see-30-mile-long-tailbacks-after-brexit Four migrants were in critical condition after being shot and more than a dozen others were injured, some seriously, during clashes in the northern French port of Calais between Afghans and Africans, local authorities said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180202/calais-four-migrants-critically-injured-after-two-hour-violent-brawl Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:02:07 +0100 calais-four-migrants-critically-injured-after-two-hour-violent-brawl French fishermen on Thursday blocked the port of Calais, preventing cross-Channel ferries arriving or departing, to demand a ban on electric pulse fishing in the North Sea. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180125/french-fishermen-block-calais-port-to-demand-ban-on-north-sea-pulse-fishing Thu, 25 Jan 2018 12:26:11 +0100 french-fishermen-block-calais-port-to-demand-ban-on-north-sea-pulse-fishing Britain will take in 260 unaccompanied migrant children from France under a deal struck at a summit between Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, the British government said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180120/uk-to-accept-260-unaccompanied-minors-from-france Sat, 20 Jan 2018 05:21:32 +0100 uk-to-accept-260-unaccompanied-minors-from-france Spending €50 million on more fences, walls, police and CCTV cameras will not solve the migrant crisis at Calais, only Britain taking on its real responsibilities will, aid groups argue https://www.thelocal.fr/20180118/opinion-uk-spending-more-money-on-yet-more-security-at-calais-wont-solve-migrant-crisis Thu, 18 Jan 2018 12:30:44 +0100 opinion-uk-spending-more-money-on-yet-more-security-at-calais-wont-solve-migrant-crisis British Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed to stump up millions more in cash to help France boost security at the UK border in Calais. Reports say the sum could amount to €50 million and will be announced on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180118/uk-to-pay-france-extra-50-million-to-boost-security-at-calais-port Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:19:13 +0100 uk-to-pay-france-extra-50-million-to-boost-security-at-calais-port