"Asylum seekers and migrants shouldn't have to face police violence in France. Providing adequate reception conditions and humane treatment for asylum seekers isn't only a matter of meeting legal obligations, it is also the right thing to do to help end the limbo for many asylum seekers in Calais," Western Europe researcher at HRW, Izza Leghtas, said in a statement.
HRW appealed to the French government to "issue clear guidance to police officers clarifying the prohibition of unjustified and disproportionate use of force."
Nineteen people, including two children, stated that they were beaten by local police officers. Twenty one, including two children, stated that police officers used pepper spray against them, according to HRW.
The Calais area currently hosts about 2,300 asylum seekers and migrants. About 200 women and children were housed in the immigrant camps as of December 2014, according to HRW.
France is challenged with accommodating migrants and asylum seekers. Currently only one third of those seeking asylum or residency is provided with a place in the migrant camps. 15,000 people are said to be on a waiting list. The average wait period to have a case considered is 12 months, according to HRW.
In 2013, 200,000 people immigrated into France, according to media reports.
