On Friday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced the "fastest possible" closure of the camp, which is home to some 6,900 people according to the French authorities. Humanitarian groups working at the camp put the number at 9,000. Cazeneuve did not specify the schedule of the closure. While some of the migrants are refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, many are simply African migrants from countries such as Eritrea who've taken advantage of Europe's lax borders and seek economic opportunities.
In the past several months, media reports have emerged of local truck drivers being threatened by alleged criminal gangs formed of migrants from the Jungle camp. The gangs have reportedly caused deliberate crashes on road in a bid to divert attention from undocumented migrants boarding vehicles on the way to the United Kingdom.
