A new migrant detention centre near Dunkirk, backed financially by the UK government, is facing a legal challenge in France that could delay plans to reduce small boat crossings across the English Channel.
The centre, currently under construction in Loon-Plage, is a major part of a £660 million agreement between the UK and France aimed at tackling illegal migration. The UK has promised to contribute funding from a £160 million package, but only after the facility becomes operational.
The British government says the project is important for restoring control over border security. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to reduce the number of migrants attempting dangerous Channel crossings, and the detention centre is seen as a key element of that strategy.
However, the project is now facing opposition from a French environmental group known as ADELFA. The group has filed an appeal at the Administrative Court of Lille, arguing that the building permit should be cancelled because the centre allegedly breaks local planning and safety rules.
According to the group’s lawyers, the detention centre is being built in an industrial zone where residential accommodation is not permitted. They also claim the location is close to facilities using ammonia refrigeration, which they say could create serious health and safety risks for people held there.
ADELFA further accuses French authorities of failing to properly follow fire safety procedures and not displaying the building permit publicly, as required by law.
Although the lawsuit does not automatically stop construction, legal experts say it could slow down the opening of the centre. In some cases, French courts have delayed similar projects for months or even years.
Nicolas Fournier, president of ADELFA, said his group wants to challenge what he described as a policy focused too heavily on repression instead of finding long-term humanitarian solutions.
Under the UK-France deal, migrants caught preparing to board small boats could be detained at the centre before being deported either to their home countries or to other European nations they previously passed through. The facility is expected to hold up to 140 people and employ more than 200 French officers.
Experts say the success of the centre remains uncertain, especially because deportation processes are often complicated and politically sensitive. Still, both governments see the project as an important step in addressing one of the region’s most difficult migration challenges.
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