Migrants from the Jungle camp in Calais used branches to block roads into the northern French port early Tuesday as officials warned they were stepping up attempts to reach Britain. Over the past three weeks, there has been a sharp increase in migrant attempts to stow away in the back of lorries which then board ferries or shuttle trains to England, officials say. Such attempts have stoked tensions with the police after a period of calm following last month's dismantling of part of the sprawling Jungle camp.
"Migrants once again attempted to slow down the traffic by placing branches on the road to obstruct lorries heading to the port of Calais," a spokesman for authorities in the Pas-de-Calais area told AFP.
"Migrants are cutting down and putting branches, and even tree trunks, on the road and they are operating simultaneously in several places." Police unions fear the rise in incidents heralds a difficult summer as the flow of migrants into Europe begins to pick up again and some try to reach Britain, where they believe their chances of finding work are highest.
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