French Interior Minister Gérald
Darmanin on Tuesday announced police reinforcements along the
France-Italy border in order to stem irregular migration, which
he said is on the rise.
"We have a 100% increase in flows, affecting the Alpes-Maritimes
and the entire Alps region," Darmanin told reporters following a
visit to the Menton border post.
The minister said the number of mobile units would increase from
2 to 4, to reach a total of more than 200 people.
Similarly, he said the number of soldiers assigned to night
reconnaissance in the mountains as part of Operation Sentinel
will rise from 60 to 120, and the number of customs officers
will also be doubled.
The announcement comes after French Premier Elisabeth Borne said
in April that 150 additional gendarmes and policemen would be
dispatched to the border in response to a doubling in the number
of migrants and refugees arriving on Italian shores compared to
the same period in 2022.
Many then trying to continue their journey by crossing the
border and entering France, often on their way to countries even
further north.
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