Brittany: a village in Côtes-d’Armor divided over the reception of migrants

The small town of Callac (Cotes-d’Armor) is divided into two camps, which face each other. On the town hall square, 600 opponents from the town, from all over Brittany and even of Vendée gathered, with the support of the extreme right. The town hall’s project to welcome refugees does not pass. “There is no factory, there is nothing. Let them be called in big cities“, says a woman. Another said she was very worried about “the arrival of islam“. A few meters away, activists in favor of the arrival of refugees also want to be heard. “Brittany has always been a land of welcome and we don’t see why we wouldn’t be anymore”says a man.

When the partisans try to approach the other side, they are repelled by the security forces. For months, tension has been mounting in the town of 2,000 inhabitants. The mayor denounces false rumors spread by his opponents, sometimes accompanied by death threats. The project, coordinated by the State, provides for the renovation of a school and 38% of vacant housing in the town. The town hall talks about welcoming less than ten families, it is far from the 500 people mentioned by the opponents. Enough to make up for the lack of manpower.