Calais 'Jungle' stragglers and minors spend another night at camp

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Migrants, who say they are minors, use blankets to protect themselves from the cold on a street after the dismantlement of the "Jungle" camp in Calais, France, October 27, 2016
Image caption,

It was another cold night for the remaining migrants in the camp's vicinity

At least 80 migrants including children have spent the night in shelters that remain in the now otherwise deserted Calais "Jungle" camp.

France and the UK have traded accusations about the children's treatment.

Two large fires broke out on Friday morning at the camp, from which almost 6,000 people have been evacuated.

The evacuation is due to be completed on Friday and people refusing to leave would be arrested, Calais police said.

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Migrants fleeing war and poverty had used the sprawling site as a staging post to try and reach the UK.

It had been seen as a key symbol of Europe's failure to deal with the worst migrant crisis since the second world war.

Media caption,

Simon Jones shows what is left inside the "Jungle" camp in Calais

At least 1,500 minors have been staying at a special container camp at the site, but it has been full and many children have also reportedly been sleeping rough.

The British government said it had told the French authorities that they must "properly protect" children.

But French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement that the best way to protect the children was for the UK to "quickly execute its responsibilities to take in these minors".

The UK has agreed to take in nearly 250 of the children.

'We may never know where they've gone'

Save the Children said dozens of children have been exposed to "serious amounts of danger" during the clearance process. Some might have run away on their own, the charity warned.

"We may never know where they've gone," aid worker Dorothy Sang said.

Media caption,

The BBC's Hugh Schofield meets migrants from Calais in their new homes

The rest of those evacuated have been taken to reception centres around France, where they are being processed and will be able to apply for asylum.

But aid workers believe that hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of migrants might have fled the area before the clearance operation began on Monday.

Demolition work is continuing and the local authorities say the clearance will be completed by Monday.

What is the Jungle?

Ferry terminal

Migrant camp

Security fence

CALAIS

Eurotunnel

Migrant camp Oct 2016

Ferry

terminal

Area cleared

in early 2016

Security fence

Camp

  • The Jungle camp is near the port of Calais and close to the 31-mile (50km) Channel Tunnel

  • Officially about 7,000 migrants live in the camp. The Help Refugees agency said the final population ahead of its demolition was 8,143

  • The camp was halved in area earlier this year but the population continued to rise, and reports of violence have increased

  • Many migrants attempt to hide themselves in cargo vehicles entering the Channel Tunnel

  • The area has been hit by protests from both locals and truck operators

A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.