PARIS — Migrants flowing into Europe in unprecedented numbers are causing a tense summer in France, as clashes break out among asylum-seekers in camps and police fire tear gas to quell the chaos.
Sudanese and Eritreans battled in the sweltering heat in France’s port city of Calais, frustrations rising as the Africans jockey for space while trying to sneak into Britain.
British police were on site in Calais trying to make sure they do not cross over. French police fired tear gas Tuesday to break up the latest of three battles that left 51 injured, the Calais prefecture said.
Migrants fleeing poverty and war in Africa and the Middle East arrive in Calais with hopes of crossing the channel on a ferry or on trucks laden with cargo. Their numbers in the city at the edge of the English Channel have swelled to 1,300, overwhelming the city.