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| French authorities step up moves to dismantle part of Calais 'Jungle' camp | French authorities step up moves to dismantle part of Calais 'Jungle' camp |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| French authorities have begun what appears to be a concerted if gradual process to dismantle the sprawling refugee camp in Calais known as the “Jungle”. | French authorities have begun what appears to be a concerted if gradual process to dismantle the sprawling refugee camp in Calais known as the “Jungle”. |
| Volunteers helping those inside the collection of makeshift structures and tents, which houses an estimated 3,500 people, said workers took down about a dozen homes in the southern section of the camp early on Monday morning, backed by police. | Volunteers helping those inside the collection of makeshift structures and tents, which houses an estimated 3,500 people, said workers took down about a dozen homes in the southern section of the camp early on Monday morning, backed by police. |
| Videos on French media websites showed orange-jacketed workers dismantling wooden structures by hand, with riot police in the background. The debris was loaded into a large container. About 20 shelters were reportedly pulled down. | |
| The work took place without unrest, although one British activist was reportedly arrested. | The work took place without unrest, although one British activist was reportedly arrested. |
| One group which helps those in the camp said they believed the demolition could be connected to the construction of a safe fire route to an adjoining site where authorities have placed converted shipping containers, currently home to about 1,300 people. | |
| But another charity said they understood the demolition was separate from this project, and marked the beginning of official efforts to dismantle the camp, after a court in Lille gave the go-ahead for this late last week. | |
| Clare Moseley, of British volunteer group Care4Calais, said prefecture officials arrived at the camp at 7am and gave residents an hour’s notice to leave or face arrest. She said: “The police presence is massive. They have the whole area cordoned off.” French media reported that about 40 vans of riot police were in position near the site. | Clare Moseley, of British volunteer group Care4Calais, said prefecture officials arrived at the camp at 7am and gave residents an hour’s notice to leave or face arrest. She said: “The police presence is massive. They have the whole area cordoned off.” French media reported that about 40 vans of riot police were in position near the site. |
| A spokeswoman for another British group, Help Refugees, said some of its volunteers had been blocked on Monday morning from entering the camp, home to refugees and migrants from countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan and Egypt. | A spokeswoman for another British group, Help Refugees, said some of its volunteers had been blocked on Monday morning from entering the camp, home to refugees and migrants from countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan and Egypt. |
| “They’ve stopped demolishing right now,” she said. “It went on for an hour or so in a small section of the camp with a mostly Iranian population. | “They’ve stopped demolishing right now,” she said. “It went on for an hour or so in a small section of the camp with a mostly Iranian population. |
| “People were being told they had to leave, otherwise they would be arrested. A lot of people seemed quote confused. They were leaving with their sleeping bags, not sure where they would be going.” | “People were being told they had to leave, otherwise they would be arrested. A lot of people seemed quote confused. They were leaving with their sleeping bags, not sure where they would be going.” |
| A spokesman for the Calais prefecture denied there was a vast new clearing operation under way. He said French officials from asylum agencies and other state agencies would continue to go from tent to tent to talk to talk to migrants about their options as they had done last week. | A spokesman for the Calais prefecture denied there was a vast new clearing operation under way. He said French officials from asylum agencies and other state agencies would continue to go from tent to tent to talk to talk to migrants about their options as they had done last week. |
| He said: “There is a reinforced police presence today to allow those officials to enter and talk to people. But this is a gradual process which will take place over several days and weeks. There will be no bulldozers.” | He said: “There is a reinforced police presence today to allow those officials to enter and talk to people. But this is a gradual process which will take place over several days and weeks. There will be no bulldozers.” |
| Fabienne Buccio, the Calais prefect, said three-quarters of the homes in the southern part of the camp were now empty after officials encouraged residents to leave over recent days. | Fabienne Buccio, the Calais prefect, said three-quarters of the homes in the southern part of the camp were now empty after officials encouraged residents to leave over recent days. |
| Police were needed, she said, in case what she described as “extremists” tried to stop migrants accepting offers of new accommodation or buses to centres elsewhere in France. | Police were needed, she said, in case what she described as “extremists” tried to stop migrants accepting offers of new accommodation or buses to centres elsewhere in France. |
| 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. | 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. |
| French authorities said earlier this month they intended to bulldoze half of the main camp, warning between 800 and 1,000 migrants and refugees to leave a seven-hectare southern section of the site. | French authorities said earlier this month they intended to bulldoze half of the main camp, warning between 800 and 1,000 migrants and refugees to leave a seven-hectare southern section of the site. |
| Buccio previously told Le Monde she intended to reduce the size of the camp by about half. | Buccio previously told Le Monde she intended to reduce the size of the camp by about half. |
| Care4Calais is among the groups that have opposed plans to dismantle the plans in the French courts. A legal appeal against last Thursday’s ruling had been lodged last week, Moseley said, and was expected to be heard soon. | Care4Calais is among the groups that have opposed plans to dismantle the plans in the French courts. A legal appeal against last Thursday’s ruling had been lodged last week, Moseley said, and was expected to be heard soon. |
| In a statement, Care4Calais said it understood the demolition was connected to a legal order to clear a fire exit for the container camp. It added: “However, given the timing – during the appeal against the eviction order – and the forceful way in which this is being carried out, this destroying of homes puts a lot of psychological pressure on the refugees in the camp.” | |
| The Help Refugees spokeswoman said the fire route had been planned by a charity that assists with roads, waste and sanitation in the camp, and Monday’s work seemed separate. | The Help Refugees spokeswoman said the fire route had been planned by a charity that assists with roads, waste and sanitation in the camp, and Monday’s work seemed separate. |
| This looked like the start of wider efforts to clear the site, she said: “That’s what it’s looking like. They did say it’s going to be slow and respectful, giving people options, and I suppose they have in a way. But at the same time they’re not giving people access to information. One person was seen being given their options as their shelter was being dismantled, so the respect they talked about last week isn’t really happening.” | This looked like the start of wider efforts to clear the site, she said: “That’s what it’s looking like. They did say it’s going to be slow and respectful, giving people options, and I suppose they have in a way. But at the same time they’re not giving people access to information. One person was seen being given their options as their shelter was being dismantled, so the respect they talked about last week isn’t really happening.” |
| While some residents have moved into shipping container shelters and a small number have left on state-provided coaches to centres elsewhere in France, many more than the official estimate of 800 to 1,000 people remained 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 shipping container shelters and a small number have left on state-provided coaches to centres elsewhere in France, many more than the official estimate of 800 to 1,000 people remained 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. |
| Welfare groups, including Save the Children, have warned that clearance efforts will leave residents with nowhere to go, among them an estimated 300 unaccompanied children. There are a few hundred places remaining in the container camp, but nowhere near enough to house all those potentially evicted. | Welfare groups, including Save the Children, have warned that clearance efforts will leave residents with nowhere to go, among them an estimated 300 unaccompanied children. There are a few hundred places remaining in the container camp, but nowhere near enough to house all those potentially evicted. |
| While the dismantlement process was given the go-ahead last week, the court in Lille ruled that common spaces such as schools and places of worship could remain standing. | While the dismantlement process was given the go-ahead last week, the court in Lille ruled that common spaces such as schools and places of worship could remain standing. |