French migrant camp reduced to ‘ashes’ after huge fire

A fire destroyed most of the Grande-Synthe migrant camp near Dunkirk in northern France overnight on the 10-11 April 2017 after fighting had broken out among Afghan and Kurdish inhabitants.

Some of the approximately 1,500 inhabitants of the Grande-Synthe camp had moved from the Calais Jungle Camp when it was closed by the authorities in October 2016.

The coast of Northern France had become a magnet for refugees and migrants trying to reach the United Kingdom for a number of years> The French authorities had regularly torn down camps in the region.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: 'Jungle' clearance: Migrants begin to leave Calais camp http://www.europeansources.info/record/jungle-clearance-migrants-begin-to-leave-calais-camp/

BBC News, 11.04.17: France migrants: Huge fire guts Grande-Synthe Dunkirk camp http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39562742

Deutsche Welle, 11.04.17: Large fire at French migrant camp leaves several injured http://p.dw.com/p/2b1HT

The Local.fr, 11.04.17: Massive blaze destroys migrant camp in northern France https://www.thelocal.fr/20170411/massive-blaze-destroys-migrant-camp-in-northern-france

---