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UNHCR welcomes demolition of Calais 'Jungle'

October 14, 2016 at 8:20 pm

A migrant holds a placard with a message for Britain’s prime minister as they face off with French riot police during a protest near the area called the “jungle” where they live in Calais, France, October 1, 2016. [REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol]

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said today that it welcomed plans to demolish a migrant camp in Calais in northern France, but raised fears lone children were at risk of trafficking if not adequately supported during the transition.

The ramshackle camp has become a symbol of Europe’s struggle to respond to an influx of migrants fleeing war and poverty and is home to more than 6,000 people dreaming of coming to Britain, just 21 miles across the English Channel.

President Francois Hollande said last month that France would completely shut down “the Jungle” by the end of the year. The plan is to relocate migrants in small groups around the country, largely removing the option of forging a new life in Britain.

“This is welcome … the Jungle site has been problematic for a number of years, and UNHCR has long recommended it be closed,” the agency’s spokesman Adrian Edwards said at a news briefing in Geneva.

“Living conditions are appalling, with the most basic shelter, inadequate hygiene facilities, very poor security and a lack of basic services.”

He said asylum seekers and migrants should be informed of when the dismantling would begin, and said the French government must organise appropriate accommodation for those leaving the camp.

Edwards said it was also crucial to ensure lone children in Calais were supervised during the demolition, as they are vulnerable to being trafficked, abused or exploited.

“This is important so that children don’t move on to other destinations and risk becoming exploited by human traffickers or end up living on the streets without any support,” he said in a statement, urging British authorities to reunite eligible children with their relatives in the UK.

An estimated 1,200 unaccompanied children are currently living in the Jungle, of which around 180 have been identified as having family ties to Britain.

Britain has said that it will give priority to children under the age of 12 who have connections in the UK and are eligible to move there.