Anger After Romanian Immigrants Make Their Home Under London Flyover

For the second time in two months a Romanian immigrant camp has been found beneath a flyover in suburban north-east London. The 20 or so men and women who made their home under the North Circular on Advent Way, Edmonton, will now be moved on after reports of anti-social behaviour.

Using the flyover as a sheltered camping spot has become a routine matter for Romanian nationals and local action was needed to spur police to move in and clear the area.

Nearby resident David McGinnes told the Enfield Independent that too many people had used the area for too long for it to be ignored any longer. He said:

“It is causing real problems down here and no one is bothering to take real action.

“People go to the site, camp there for a while, then get moved on. But then we see a fresh batch of people there, it’s an obvious hotspot and is the scourge of the area.”

Another resident asked just why an area known to be used by vagrant Romanian immigrants was never visited by police and permanently cleared out.

“I don’t feel safe riding my bike through there anymore”, Bishwan Metha told the newspaper. ““It has been getting worse and worse over the past couple of years – they have turned the area into their own.

“It is not a safe area, especially at night and yet action seems to be only done every now and then. We need a proactive police force to stop it happening.”

Mr Metha also revealed litter had been rife in the area since the encampments had been used.

A police spokesman said: “Edmonton Neighbourhoods Policing Team, working in partnership with Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers, Enfield Council and the homelessness charity ThamesReach visited a site under the A406 near Advent Way N18, at 6am on Monday, October 12 after receiving several reports of anti-social behaviour.

“Checks were carried out on a group of people who had set up camp under the flyover. No arrests were made.

“Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers served enforcement papers on 13 Romanian nationals, who now have 30 days to leave the UK or face further enforcement action.”