Close to 60 tenants of a private residence in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, France, have fled their apartments due to incessant violent clashes involving illegal immigrants believed to be Nigerians in the area.

According to RTL, the Nigerian immigrants, who initially moved in as squatters, have taken possession of the dilapidated buildings in the area.

The Nigerians, who are said to be ultra-violent among themselves, also run prostitution and drug trafficking businesses.

A resident of the neighbourhood identified as Melina explained that her door was once blown open while she was away on a weekend. She said had to return home urgently after neighbours alerted her.

“We went for the weekend to see my sister in Valence and the neighbours called us in a panic. The door was blown open. They didn’t want to come out and I had to hide at 10 pm in the hall. When I saw them re-enter, I had to go in and I threw everything out the window [sic],” Melina said.

“For them it was their apartment. Everything that happens, there is nothing, nobody moves [sic].”

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Another resident, Zineb, explained that she decided to leave her apartment with her family because she could not “stay in a place where there was no security.”

Nella, also a resident in the area, said her apartment was set on fire because she did not open her door to the squatters.

“The gangs fight regularly with machetes in the common areas and seek refuge with the inhabitants,” she said.

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“When they fight, they knock on the apartments so that one opens to them and that they take refuge. Another clan wants to kill them so they want to take refuge with us [sic].”