Calais (Pas-de-Calais) has become the city of migrants over the years. However, residents are fed up with this image which is often maintained by presidential candidates.
Since some years now, the city of Calais has become a refuge for many migrants wishing to reach England. A forced cohabitation with the inhabitants of the city, who have learned to live with them. The city has regained dynamism and unemployment has fallen. “It changed the image of Calais, even if we try to do beautiful things, we have a beautiful beach. But there is always this image of migrants”, deplores a Calais resident.
An image that benefits certain presidential candidates like Éric Zemmour who has chosen a highly symbolic place, the former jungle of Calais, to present his program on immigration. “Calais has been completely devastated by this story. My solution is to take control of the borders and above all to abolish family reunification, land rights, and social rights”, he explained during his speech. While the mayor of the city, Natacha Bouchart (LR), regret “the amalgam” made between migrants and immigrants.