Migrants denied lavatories as Calais snubs court ruling

THE mayor of Calais yesterday refused to obey a court order to provide migrants with showers and lavatories, saying the facilities would encourage the establishment of new camps after the “Jungle” was razed last year.

Natacha Bouchart said residents had hoped more tourists and businesses would return to Calais after the authorities cleared the shanty town, which at its peak sheltered 10,000 migrants trying to reach Britain.

She said the ruling by France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’état, was “an injustice for the people of Calais as it places them once again under the threat that yet another ‘Jungle’ will emerge.

“In the absence of a national and Eu- ropean policy offering an overall solution to control immigration, the city of Calais will not follow the orders it has been given,” she said.

Mrs Bouchart added: “No facilities will be provided within the town perimeter. It would be catastrophic.”

The Calais authorities were given 10 days from Monday to provide running water and sanitation for up to 1,000 migrants sleeping rough in the area while they attempt to cross the Channel, often with the help of people smugglers.

Mrs Bouchart indicated that she would not try to prevent national government officials from setting up sanitary facilities for the migrants.

Emmanuel Agius, her deputy, said: “If they do so, the Prefect [the government’s local representative] will have to explain the decision to the people of Calais himself.”

The court ruling, which described the migrants as living in “inhuman” and “degrading” conditions, marked the end of a prolonged legal battle over the Calais authorities’ refusal charities install sanitation.

The government has been under fire after allegations of police brutality, while the mayor has tried to ban charities from feeding them.

The government says there are no more than 400 migrants, but the court estimated that there were up to 700 and some charities say the figure is around 1,000.

Gérard Collomb, the interior minister, said two accommodation centres would be set up about 50 miles inland. to let