Multiple fires in Calais migrant camp as evacuation proceeds
NAN-F-8
Migrants
Paris, Oct. 26, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Multiple fires were set off overnight at a migrant camp near Calais, as a week-long government operation to evacuate the “Jungle” camp and dismantle the makeshift shelters continued on Wednesday.
French firefighters had put out the fires, and there were no reports of serious injuries.
Regional prefect Fabienne Buccio said that setting off fires was a tactic migrants had used previously to destroy parts of the camp before leaving.
He said that it was mostly makeshift shops that were set alight overnight.
More than 4,000 people have been taken to shelters, either in accommodation centres around France where they can apply for asylum.
Others were taken to a container site near Calais where minors are waiting to see if they can be reunited with family in Britain.
Officials expect the operation to become more difficult over the course of the week, as everyone who volunteered to leave is transported to shelters and those reluctant to give up on reaching Britain remain. dpa/NAN)
Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Julius Enehikhuere