As thousands of migrants prepare for falling temperatures in the "jungle" of Calais on France's north coast, refugees in another makeshift camp just 35 km away are coping with even more squalid conditions as the winter freeze sets in.
In Grande-Synthe, a small town adjacent to the port city of Dunkirk, groups of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Asia have converged in recent months on a vast forest clearing to set up their tents.
Pouring rain and harsh winds from the nearby English Channel frequently turn the land into an ocean of mud. This weekend snow is forecast.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.