French leaders warn of toxic rows over immigration after far-right arson attack

Yannick Morez, the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, resigned following death threats and attack on his home

French politicians have warned about the risk posed by the country’s increasingly violent and toxic rows over immigration after the mayor of a seaside town resigned following death threats and an arson attack on his home, and far-right groups protested over an asylum-seeker centre in his town.

Yannick Morez announced he was stepping down as mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in western France, and would have to stop his work as a local doctor, weeks after his home was targeted in an arson attack that burned two cars and the front of his family house. The arson attack is still under investigation, but Morez complained of a “lack of support from the state”.