Illegal detentions and retentions take place in the French Border Police office near Menton's welcome sign. Deemed by the French administration as a place of shelter, the facilities do not fall under any kind of legislation (Photo: Bianca Carrera)

Feature

The rotten truth behind Menton, 'the pearl of France'

Migration

EU Political

by Bianca Carrera, Menton,

Just nine kilometres away from the Italian coastal town of Ventimiglia, stands a sign announcing the start of the first French town after the border: "Menton, the Pearl of France, is Happy to Welcome You".

Ironically, this pearl of France is one of the least welcoming places for migrants crossing Europe.

Just a few metres away from that sign, one finds the office of French Border Police (PAF). According to observations carried out by the CAFI (the French Coordination for Border A...

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Migration EU Political Feature

Author Bio

Bianca Carrera is a freelance writer and analyst specialising in the Middle Eastern and North Africa, environmental matters, and migration at Sciences Po Paris. She has written for The New Arab, Al Jazeera, Oxfam Intermón, elDiario.es, and others.