CALAIS: The wall 4 metres high and 1 km long, extending the fences already installed on the ring road near the port …
Building an “anti-migrant” wall on both sides of the ring road leading to the port of Calais, to prevent migrants getting smuggled in trucks is completed, said the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais on Monday. “The work of the green wall is completed,” said a spokesman.
This wall 4 metres high and 1 km long extending the fences already installed on the ring road near the port. Funded by the UK (2.7 million euros), it aims to protect the future ring road from migrant assaults wanting to England, if they returned to Calais despite the destruction of the “Jungle” in late October.
“This is an extremely important tool, it shows that the highway is safe”
The building work started on 20 September, while “Le camp de la Lande ” – the official name of the “Jungle” where there were thousands of migrants – was nearby. “This is an extremely important tool, it shows that the highway is secure”, said Jean-Marc Puissesseau, CEO of the Port of Boulogne-Calais in late November during a press conference.
The wall had been attacked at the administrative court by the Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart (Republicans). The Lille tribunal had finally rejected on November 22nd the request of the municipality to suspend construction, believing in particular that the flow of migrants was not a “short-term” dry up. Under these conditions, the wall could “prevent the probable intrusion attempts” by securing traffic “given the importance of truck traffic,” stressed the court.
