The local government of Calais has rejected a court ruling to provide better facilities for migrants, arguing it will only encourage more asylum seekers to flock there in the hope of crossing into the UK. Local judges upheld the decision made by another court in Lille last month, ordering officials to set up drinking fountains, toilets and showers for migrants. According to the court, migrants are living in “a state of deprivation and exhaustion” and are subjected to “inhuman and degrading treatments” unacceptable in a democracy.
Calais authorities face a fine of £89 (€100) per day if they fail to abide by the ruling. It is estimated that there are between 400 to 600 migrants in the hub town. Last October roughly 8,000 predominantly young men were evicted from the so-called ‘jungle’, which had become a magnet for asylum seekers. Calais’ deputy mayor Philippe Mignonet warned: “A new jungle could emerge anytime if we are not careful. We refuse anyway what the court is saying. The mayor of Calais has already [provided] everything – showers, toilets, [a] camp. And we see all the time it’s a disaster.”
Source: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/835901/Calais-rejects-court-order-re…
