In Hauts-de-France, 14 coastal mayors unite to denounce the “feeling of abandonment” and demand action in the face of the migratory drama

Elected officials took part in a meeting of the collective of coastal mayors, an unprecedented initiative since the start of the crisis, launched by the mayor of Calais after the death of four exiles on Saturday.

In Hauts-de-France, coastal mayors unite to denounce the “feeling of abandonment” and demand action in the face of the migratory drama, reports France Bleu Nord on Tuesday October 8. 14 of them participated, at Calais town hall, in a meeting of the collective of coastal mayors. An unprecedented initiative since the start of the crisis, launched by the mayor of Calais after the death of four exiles, including a child, in a shipwreck on Saturday in the English Channel, off the coast of Portel (Pas-de-Calais).

“The mayors and their representatives call on the recently appointed government to finally take stock of the problem,” write the elected officials in a press release published after the meeting, signed by representatives of the municipalities of Ambleteuse, Audinghen, Audresselles, Calais, Cucq, Equihen-Plage, Escalles, Grand-Fort-Philippe, Gravelines, Marck, Oye-Plage, Sangatte , Wimille and Wissant. Proposals will soon be sent to the Prime Minister. “What all mayors have in common is the feeling of abandonment. We are both sad and angry”underlines the mayor of Audresselles, Antoine Benoit.

For this first meeting, elected officials from the coast mainly came to share their daily lives. “At the beginning, there was a boat that left from time to time. But now, again on Saturday, I have two boats full of people that have left”says Christian Fourcroy, mayor of Equihen-Plage, adding that he feels “forlorn” faced with these departures. Not all municipalities are affected in the same proportions by the migration crisis, but elected officials found themselves on the most important themes: the ineffectiveness of existing systems, the increasingly violent altercations in recent months, the management of transport or even waste.

The signatories of this appeal from Calais encourage all coastal mayors to join them in making themselves heard by the government. “As mayors, we want to bang the table to say stop. These are things that are beyond our control. We have had enough of suffering, the government must react”storm Sony Clinquart, mayor of Grand-Fort-Philippe. Elected officials must meet again in the coming weeks to establish a list of proposals to present to the Prime Minister.