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| Calais Jungle: prefecture officials begin telling residents to leave | Calais Jungle: prefecture officials begin telling residents to leave |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The first tentative steps have been taken in what is likely to be a long and precarious effort to dismantle the camp for migrants and refugees outside Calais, with local officials going from tent to tent warning residents they are obliged to leave. | |
| Some migrant aid groups had feared the local French prefecture could move swiftly after a court on Thursday gave the legal go-ahead for plans to demolish hundreds of tents and wooden shelters. The prefecture has long argued against the camp, known as the “Jungle”, saying conditions are unsanitary, undignified and represent a security risk. | Some migrant aid groups had feared the local French prefecture could move swiftly after a court on Thursday gave the legal go-ahead for plans to demolish hundreds of tents and wooden shelters. The prefecture has long argued against the camp, known as the “Jungle”, saying conditions are unsanitary, undignified and represent a security risk. |
| Related: There’s nascent hope in the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp. So why destroy it? | David Kraft | Related: There’s nascent hope in the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp. So why destroy it? | David Kraft |
| Volunteers and some residents said prefecture officials began touring sections of the camp from about 8am (0700 GMT), telling people they had to leave. | |
| Clare Moseley, of British volunteer group Care4Calais, said some refugees and migrants had been told that if they did not leave the camp by 11am their makeshift homes would be destroyed anyway. “They said different things to different people,” she said. “It’s a form of psychological pressure, especially as the backgrounds of many of these people mean they tend to believe what authorities threaten.” | Clare Moseley, of British volunteer group Care4Calais, said some refugees and migrants had been told that if they did not leave the camp by 11am their makeshift homes would be destroyed anyway. “They said different things to different people,” she said. “It’s a form of psychological pressure, especially as the backgrounds of many of these people mean they tend to believe what authorities threaten.” |
| Moseley said volunteers from various groups, aided by French students, had been touring the tents, telling people they did not need to move out immediately. | Moseley said volunteers from various groups, aided by French students, had been touring the tents, telling people they did not need to move out immediately. |
| Care4Calais is among the groups that have been opposing the dismantlement plans in the French courts. A new legal appeal against Thursday’s ruling has been lodged, Moseley said, and was expected to be heard soon. | Care4Calais is among the groups that have been opposing the dismantlement plans in the French courts. A new legal appeal against Thursday’s ruling has been lodged, Moseley said, and was expected to be heard soon. |
| A cautious official approach had been anticipated, especially after France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said authorities would not do anything too hastily. “It has never been our intention to send in bulldozers to destroy the camp,” he said late on Thursday. | A cautious official approach had been anticipated, especially after France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said authorities would not do anything too hastily. “It has never been our intention to send in bulldozers to destroy the camp,” he said late on Thursday. |
| Nonetheless, there were early signs of a ratcheting up of pressure. One bulldozer was visible on the edge of the camp. It had arrived to help clear a fire road towards a collection of converted shipping containers – complete with heating and plumbing – into which an estimated 1,300 people had been moved, with the encouragement of officials. The arrival of a municipal truck carrying angle-grinders and chainsaws caused brief concern, but it was soon driven away. | Nonetheless, there were early signs of a ratcheting up of pressure. One bulldozer was visible on the edge of the camp. It had arrived to help clear a fire road towards a collection of converted shipping containers – complete with heating and plumbing – into which an estimated 1,300 people had been moved, with the encouragement of officials. The arrival of a municipal truck carrying angle-grinders and chainsaws caused brief concern, but it was soon driven away. |
| Another charity, Help Refugees, said camp residents had received conflicting information about how long they might be able to say. A spokeswoman said 10 people had left on Friday for centres elsewhere in France on one of the buses provided daily by authorities. | |
| Related: Guardian Books Podcast: a special from the Calais Jungle | Related: Guardian Books Podcast: a special from the Calais Jungle |
| Despite such moves, and the presence of increased numbers of police, life continued much as normal in the sprawling camp, located next to the heavily fenced road leading to Calais docks, allowing access for highly risky attempts to climb into lorries heading for Britain. The camp’s impromptu main street, featuring a church, school, shack-built shops and cafes as well as a business offering hot showers and a makeshift Turkish bath, remained bustling. | Despite such moves, and the presence of increased numbers of police, life continued much as normal in the sprawling camp, located next to the heavily fenced road leading to Calais docks, allowing access for highly risky attempts to climb into lorries heading for Britain. The camp’s impromptu main street, featuring a church, school, shack-built shops and cafes as well as a business offering hot showers and a makeshift Turkish bath, remained bustling. |
| Many inhabitants of the disparate collection of tents, caravans, sheds and self-built wooden shacks said they had not seen any officials, and had no intention of leaving anyway. “I spent two years getting here, and I’ve been here for three months now,” said one Afghan man in his 30s, standing with friends near the school waiting for an English-language class, and like most residents declining to give his name. “I’ve tried lots of times to get to England. Why would I stop now? Where do I go? I have family in England. It’s the only place I want to go.” | Many inhabitants of the disparate collection of tents, caravans, sheds and self-built wooden shacks said they had not seen any officials, and had no intention of leaving anyway. “I spent two years getting here, and I’ve been here for three months now,” said one Afghan man in his 30s, standing with friends near the school waiting for an English-language class, and like most residents declining to give his name. “I’ve tried lots of times to get to England. Why would I stop now? Where do I go? I have family in England. It’s the only place I want to go.” |
| Numerous other people, from countries including Sudan, Pakistan and Egypt, said they would not move, with most seeming unclear about what authorities planned. | Numerous other people, from countries including Sudan, Pakistan and Egypt, said they would not move, with most seeming unclear about what authorities planned. |
| “I’m staying here. It’s either here or England,” said one Pakistani man. | “I’m staying here. It’s either here or England,” said one Pakistani man. |
| While some residents have moved into the shipping container shelters, and a small number leave daily on state-provided coaches to centres elsewhere in France, many more than the official estimate of 800 to 1,000 people remain inside the main camp. A census carried out by two charities recorded 3,455 people living there, with one group telling the Guardian earlier this week that this included 445 children, of whom 305 were unaccompanied. | While some residents have moved into the shipping container shelters, and a small number leave daily on state-provided coaches to centres elsewhere in France, many more than the official estimate of 800 to 1,000 people remain inside the main camp. A census carried out by two charities recorded 3,455 people living there, with one group telling the Guardian earlier this week that this included 445 children, of whom 305 were unaccompanied. |
| Rachel Robinson from the British human rights group Liberty, said: “Many unaccompanied children will be affected by the bulldozers rolling in again, including a significant number with family in the UK, who could and should have their claims determined here.” | |
| Critics of the efforts to dismantle the camp, even in a slow process over many weeks, say it will do little more than disperse people to different parts of the northern French coast. Concerned about a possible movement of camp residents, Belgium began implementing border checks on Wednesday. | |
| Officials announced earlier this month that they they planned to raze the tightly packed southern half of the camp, initially giving a Tuesday deadline, delayed by the court battle. | Officials announced earlier this month that they they planned to raze the tightly packed southern half of the camp, initially giving a Tuesday deadline, delayed by the court battle. |
| While the process can now go ahead, the court in Lille ruled that common spaces like places of worship and schools could remain standing. | While the process can now go ahead, the court in Lille ruled that common spaces like places of worship and schools could remain standing. |