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This article analyzes French data from the European BRIDGES project. It compares three media peaks: the Channel Tunnel crossings of 2015, the burkini controversy of 2016 and the Nice attack of 2020. We use four parameters to measure the degree of controversy of these events: their local or national reach, the emotions they arouse, their media framing and the profile of the politicians quoted. These parameters show a low level of controversy for the Channel Tunnel. These results are in line with the scientific literature, which considers that irregular immigration and illegal border crossings are not subjects of tension in national debate.