CALAIS (FRANCE) – Police forces dismantled a makeshift shelter camp in the northern French port of Calais on Friday. As part of this, hundreds of migrants were removed in one of the biggest operations in the last several months.
Since the relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown and the reopening of the borders within the European Union, migrants have started coming in large numbers to Calais again, in their pursuit to reach Britain via the Channel Tunnel.
On Friday, some 519 people living in the camp were taken by bus to various reception centres. Local authorities said in a statement, another 20 people found to have irregular immigration status were arrested and taken to detention centres.
The dismantling started at around 5 am and was over by noon. Authorities said it went calmly.
Charities helping refugees say there are about 1,200 migrants in Calais, which included mainly of Sudanese, Eritrean, Afghan and Iranian origin.
The dismantling of the huge “Calais Jungle” in 2016, where around 9,000 people lived, has migrants now scattered in several camps, most on the outskirts of Calais.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.