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The area around Stalingrad Metro station was turned into a refugee battleground as rival gangs of migrants set upon each other in shocking scenes of violence. Asylum seekers wearing hooded tops wielded makeshift clubs fashioned from lengths of wood which they used to bludgeon each other as horrified pedestrians looked on.

REX Migrants fought running battles in the streets of Paris this morning

The blood-curdling brawl erupted just yards from the Stalingrad Metro station, where a squalid migrant camp has popped up following the demolition of the Jungle. It was not immediately clear what sparked the early morning fight, but rival gangs of people smugglers have previously been involved in violent brawls in Calais. And despite the horrific brawl, a pro-migrant rally is apparently being organised to take place at the camp at 6pm tonight.

REX The migrants beat each other with wooden clubs

REX The fight broke out near a migrant camp under the Stalingrad Metro station

REX Rival gangs of migrants smugglers have frequently bawled in France

The once peaceful neighbourhood, in Paris' 10th Arrondissement, used to be a popular area with tourists, boasting a lively nightlife scene bustling with restaurants and bars. But worried residents have revealed how it has become a no go zone in recent weeks following the establishment of the refugee camp, which has brought squalor and violence. Thousands of migrants – mostly from Sudan, Libya, Afghanistan, and Eritrea – have pitched tents under the Metro station after the demolition of the Jungle hampered their attempts to reach Britain. French police have tried and failed on many occasions to clear the squalid squat, but asylum seekers simply keep on returning and reestablishing it.

Migrants clash with police across Europe Wed, February 15, 2017 Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 107 Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.

There are now nore than 2,500 migrants pitching up in the makeshift camp, with locals saying the eyesore is ruining their businesses and making life a "living hell". Residents in the once popular district say that the squatters are now becoming increasingly violent and dangerous, with increased reports of muggings. Faisal, a shopkeeper, told the French daily Le Figaro that Stalingrad locals are living in fear, threatening the future of his business. He said: “The stench of urine, faeces, and rubbish has made Stalingrad an insalubrious place to live. The place is dead – no-one wants to come here anymore. People are afraid to go out and lock themselves in. “I’m making less than €60 (£53) a day. A few more weeks like this and I’ll go bust! “French people have been kind to them. I know they’re desperate, but the least they can do is respect the law and try and integrate into French society.”

REX There are around 2,500 migrants now living at the Stalingrad camp

REX Police have repeatedly tried to clear the squalid camp

REX But locals say it has grown in size since the closure of the Jungle in Calais

Jeanne, another Stalingrad resident, told Le Figaro the migrants had become increasingly violent towards locals. She said: “Brazen migrants are snatching jewellery and handbags off passers-by – they’re even stealing bread. I’ve seen them beat people up too.” Police have raided the camp some 30 times in the past year, and on Monday French president François Hollande vowed to close the camp for good. But within 24 hours of a police operation to move migrants on tents had sprung up again, showing the uphill battle authorities in the French capital face to shut down such illegal encampments.

Riot police begin destroying migrant camps in Paris Mon, October 31, 2016 Overnight fires broke out in many parts of the camp destroying shacks and makeshift shops along the camps main street. Many migrants have left by coach to be relocated at centres across France. Play slideshow 1 of 43