France
to start moving migrants out of Calais camp
Buses
are expected in ‘Jungle’ encampment Monday morning to take first
group to alternative accommodation.
By HORTENSE GOULARD
10/22/16, 4:41 PM CET
French authorities
will start dismantling the migrant and refugee encampment in the town
of Calais on Monday, local media reported.
Buses will arrive at
the camp known as the Jungle at 8:00 am local time, according to Le
Monde, to start moving out the first group of about 6,500 migrants
now living in the camp to accommodation set up in several locations
around France.
Authorities plan to
evacuate 2,400 migrants on the first day, with buses leaving every
fifteen minutes. The dismantling of the camp is expected to take all
week, according to media reports.
Migrants will be
divided into several groups, including one consisting of single men
and another of unaccompanied minors. Families will be grouped
together and evacuated separately from individuals, deemed
vulnerable.
French government
and local authorities have set up 280 centers for relocation. They
can accommodate up to 7,500 people.
More than 1,200
unaccompanied minors currently live in the camp and most –
primarily those with relatives already in the U.K. – will be sent
there in line with recent negotiations between Paris and London.
Local authorities in
Calais said there would be identity checks, but no distinction will
be made between migrants who entered France illegally and others.
Le Monde reported
authorities will use 170 buses to transport migrants from the
encampment, and police officers will be present at locations where
the buses will stop during the journey to prevent migrants from
fleeing.
Local authorities
couldn’t say whether they expect migrants to cooperate, but the
interior ministry admitted Thursday that some could be placed under
administrative detention.
During the previous
attempt to clear Calais’ Jungle encampment in October 2015, police
arrested about 1,000 migrants. French courts later ruled that, in
nine cases out of ten, their detention was illegal and ordered their
release, Le Monde reported.
Authors:
Hortense Goulard
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