Their faces covered, a gang of Ethiopian youths marches towards a rival camp in Calais brandishing sticks and rocks.
As they come into sight, a group of Eritreans arm themselves and rush out to defend their territory.
But French riot police are on the scene within minutes. After firing tear gas from behind their shields they manage to drive the groups apart.
Yesterday’s clash was over almost as soon as it started – but it will happen again today. And tomorrow.
Eritreans and Ethiopians fighting over various routes into the ferry port appeared to be the principal reason for the fights, a police spokesman said.
It is thought that rows with people-smugglers who charge up to £1,000 cash for passage to Britain have also contributed to the trouble.
Yesterday, one Ethiopian man, who asked not to be named, said that Eritrean people smugglers were charging money for access to coveted areas for sneaking aboard lorries.
‘They are trying to charge us 500 euro (£395) to get on a lorry and they will not let us wait in the good areas where the lorries are parked,’ he said. ‘It is not fair that one group of people get access and another don’t. They cannot keep it to themselves.’
After winning control of the situation, riot police went through the motions and frisked the young men, who are mostly in their 20s, recovering various knives, sticks and rocks.
The situation is becoming unbearable for local police who say that they are stretched to breaking point by the constant fights. They have demanded live ammunition rather than rubber bullets to defend themselves against the migrant gangs who they claim are becoming increasingly ‘violent’.
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