September 5 will see an unprecedented move against the Calais “Jungle” migrant camp organized by local shopkeepers, businessmen, farmers and police unionists.
In an interview with Sputnik Julie Lavayssière of Utopia56 association, said that the camp should be dismantled but that its inhabitants should be taken care of.
“Tearng it down is not a way out […] because dozens of smaller such camps will spring up complicating the work done by the associations, municipalities and police,” she said.
Maya Konforti of the Migrants’ Abode association agreed saying that those who have applied for asylum in Calais but still live in the ”Jungle” camp need to go to the so-called ”acceptance and orientation centers.”
”People willing to apply for asylum in France should move to such centers. We need to keep an eye on this whole process to make sure that these people are taken care of, that their applications are duly considered and they are helped to integrate into our society, learn the language, etc.”
Maya Konforti also appeared willing to find a compromise with the participants of Monday’s action.
“We have sent them an open letter […] to hold a roundtable to discuss this situation with migrants we are all worried about. Hunters don’t like it, truck drivers don’t like it, the Calais residents don’t like it and the refugees don’t like it either!” she said.
Since last year, Calais has been home to a large migrant camp – the so-called “Jungle” – which is notorious for its squalor. Thousands of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa are living in the Jungle, located not far from the Channel Tunnel, in hopes of reaching the United Kingdom.
The camp made global headlines during the European refugee and migrant crisis when its population started to grow and the French authorities carried out evictions.
