As they steel themselves for arduous journeys across perilous mountainous terrain, surveyed by cameras, drones and French army patrols, many sleep rough on the Italian seaside resort’s streets.is on hand to provide food. Among them is James Beadle, a British expat based across the French border near Menton, who helps run the non-profit organisation Azur Aide.
Azur Aide’s team includes English-speaking expats from the UK, the US and Canada. Much of the group’s food is donated, with one donor providing up to 300 eggs every fortnight. The organisation raises funds through crowdfunders, pub quizzes and book sales, with some of the money used to buy hats and scarves, which volunteers hand out in winter.
Mr Beadle joined Azur Aide in 2021. “I had some spare time and wanted to use it doing something productive,” he says. “It’s a perverse privilege to live so close to the border and to be able to help.”