French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday vowed that France would not allow another migrant camp like the infamous "Jungle" to develop in Calais, during a visit to the French town and ferry port at the center of France's immigration crisis.

"In no case will we allow another 'Jungle' here," he said in a speech in the northern city, as his government puts pressure on Britain to contribute more to dealing with migrants seeking to cross the Channel.

Read more: Calais migrants to be dispersed across France

Watch video 00:24 Macron vows no return of Calais migrant camp

Macron said he wanted to negotiate with Britain a better police cooperation to handle the migrants in Calais and more money from the UK to help develop the city. He also wants Britain to take in more unaccompanied minors.

An agreement in 2003, known as the Touquet Accords, moved the British border to Calais and has left France with the problem of dealing with migrants refused entry into Britain.

Some in France see the situation in Calais as one of Britain's making, given that the most of the migrants who descend on the area are desperate to reach England.

France doing 'everything' to stop illegal migration to UK

The northern city is the closest point between France and Britain, with two cross-Channel transport systems: the Eurotunnel and ferries.

Macron insisted France was doing "everything" to prevent migrants from illegally entering Britain, saying "Calais is not a back door to England."

From Calais to Paris to... Tearing down Paris tent camp Police in Paris stand guard as demolition crews work to remove tents, sleeping bags and mattresses from the sidewalk near the Stalingrad metro station. Numbers at the Paris camp swelled to 3,000 after the Calais camp was razed.

From Calais to Paris to... Final clear out? Women in Paris wait in the cold for buses to bring them to reception centers in other parts of France. The Paris camp has been already cleared out twice in recent months. Officials hope setting up reception centers will prevent future makeshift camps from forming.

From Calais to Paris to... No home in Paris Thousands of refugees from the now-demolished "Jungle" camp had come to the French capital hoping to return to Calais and again try to reach the UK.

From Calais to Paris to... Bonjour Paris Some migrants ​had set up their tents in the French capital after they left Calais. The number of migrants on Paris' street increased by a third after the "Jungle" was closed.

From Calais to Paris to... Homeless in Europe Migrants who arrived in France last year were mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea and Sudan. They would often try to escape through the English Channel to Britain, stowed away in trucks and cars.

From Calais to Paris to... Calais eviction day A group of young migrant boys stand near the "Jungle" in Calais. Camp residents lit several fires as police evacuated around 10,000 refugees from the area on October 26.

From Calais to Paris to... Leaving Calais Around 10,000 refugees had made the "Jungle" their home while trying to make their way to the UK. Calais officials had been struggling to relocate camp residents amid protests.

From Calais to Paris to... The 'Jungle' Apart from container sheltes, migrants at the Calais camp had to often live in squalid tents which offered little protection from rough weather.

From Calais to Paris to... An embarrasment for Europe French President Francois Hollande has promised no one will be able to resettle at the refugee camp in Calais. The "Jungle" had become a symbol of Europe's migrant crisis. Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan



Read more: Is Emmanuel Macron Europe's new Angela Merkel?

Macron also said he would get tough on police if they use excessive force against migrants, but defended the security forces against allegations of brutality levelled by certain charities, dismissing some as lies.

Macron met with migrants living in Calais and the NGOs working with them, as well as local officials, residents and security force members calling for tougher laws to prevent the emergence of another "Jungle."

Watch video 05:47 Share France: Survival in the legal grey zone Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2TRTZ France: Survival in the legal grey zone

The former Socialist government bulldozed the "Jungle," — a makeshift camp in Calais — more than a year ago and moved its more than 7,000 occupants to shelters nationwide, but hundreds of migrants continue to gather in the area in hopes of making it to Britain.

The meeting in Calais comes ahead of a French-British summit on Thursday, which will see Macron meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, where he will ask that Britain change the 2003 Tourquet Accords and do more to help ease the migrant burden caused partly by the agreement.

Read more: Refugees in France balk at pressure to move off streets

The police in Calais routinely break up the camps of migrants who descend on the region to try and stow away on trucks crossing the Channel to Britain, a favorite destination for Afghans and east Africans.

100,000 asylum claims

France received a record 100,000 asylum claims in 2017, making it one of Europe's most sought-after destinations.

Read more: Southern EU countries pledge to improve common migration policy

During the 2017 election, Macron campaigned for open borders and promised to speed up the waiting times for asylum applications, but he also said he would clamp down on expulsions of people who remained in France after being turned down for refugee status.

Read more: Britain to blame for Calais, says German group

NGOs, trade unions and left-wing parties take a different view, often accusing him of wielding an iron fist in a velvet glove.

In December, the Interior Minister Gerard Collomb's ordering of ID checks in emergency shelters sparked fears of a witch hunt against failed asylum seekers, and further criticism from migrant support groups.

France to demand 'concrete measures' from UK

The president's trip is a foretaste of a tough new immigration and asylum bill to be presented to the French Cabinet in February.

Read more: Calais refugees adapt to life in the UK

In an interview with French Le Parisien newspaper published Sunday, Collomb said he would push for changes to the 2003 Le Touquet accords allowing British border controls on French territory.

Collomb said France would specifically demand "concrete measures" from Prime Minister Theresa May's government on taking in more unaccompanied minors seeking to join relatives or friends across the water, and on contributing more to the costs of policing the border.

Read more: Calais mayor outlaws food handouts for migrants

Natacha Bouchart, the right-wing mayor of Calais, told BFM television on Monday that the local population was "tired" of the situation and expected a lot from the president's visit.

With 400 to 700 migrants there today, the situation is in many ways worse, said Francois Guennoc of Auberge des Migrants, a leading migrant aid group.

"It's catastrophic," he said, both materially and mentally because migrants have no right to pitch tents, to ensure no new camps spring up.

law/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)