Refugees riot at French camp

Many refugees from the camp have attempted to cross into Britain

LILLE, France -- Riot police used tear gas to break up clashes on Wednesday between Afghan and Kurdish refugees at a Red Cross camp in northern France, police sources said.

Police were called to the Sangatte refugee centre near Calais after stones were thrown, and the situation was now calm, an official told Reuters news agency.

The camp, which is near the French Channel Tunnel terminal, houses around 1,000 refugees, mainly Afghans, Iranians and Iraqi and Turkish Kurds.

Many refugees from the camp have attempted to cross illegally into Britain on cross-Channel trains and lorries.

Eurotunnel, operator of the Channel Tunnel rail link, says the camp is responsible for rising numbers of people stowing away on its trains.

Wednesday's clashes followed a fight between around 300 Afghans and 200 Kurds at the camp on Tuesday, in which 30 people were injured, two seriously.

After Tuesday's fight, Kurds spent the night outside, making campfires to keep warm.

A number of immigrants at the camp were injured during clashes in July and September.

French officials say Britain's relatively liberal policy on asylum acts as a magnet drawing immigrants to the northern French coast.

Opposition politicians in the UK have said the location of the camp encourages asylum seekers to attempt to enter Britain.