Aid groups say boulders placed under a Paris bridge are preventing migrants from setting up camp in an area that has been a magnet for people fleeing war and poverty around the world.

Paris City Hall insists that the boulders are not an anti-migrant measure, but were relocated from another site because of upcoming construction work.

The boulders are under a bridge in northern Paris where migrants often seek shelter. Aid groups say the boulders are part of an ongoing police crackdown on migrants.

City Hall insists it's doing all it can to care for the hundreds of migrants who sleep in the streets of Paris every night. A migrant center set up by city authorities has taken in 5,200 people since November.—AP