LastFriday,FrenchpolicebegantearingdownahugecampinnortheasternParis.
ThecampwashomeforthousandsofAfghansandAfricans.Theirremovaltosheltersispartofagovernmentefforttostopmigrantsfromlivingonthestreets.
Themigrantcampwassometimescalled“Stalingrad”becauseitwasneartheFrenchcapital’sStalingradmetrostation.
Aidgroupssaidatleast3,000peopleoccupiedthecamp;however,broadcasterCNNsaidthenumberwascloserto4,000.
Mostmigrantsleavetheirhomecountriesinsearchofworkorabetterlife.ButmanyofthepeoplewholivedinStalingradareconsideredrefugees.Theywereforcedtoleavetheirhomecountrybecauseofwaroroppression.
SomemigrantsheldtheirpossessionswhilewaitingforbusestotakethemtoholdingcentersaroundIledeFrance,aFrenchprovincethatincludesParis.
DidierLeschiisthedirectoroftheFrenchImmigrationandIntegrationOffice.Hepromisedhisagency’steamswouldbepresentattheholdingcenters.Healsosaidlanguageaideswouldbeavailable.
ThemigrantswillbeabletostayinIledeFrancetemporarily.ThentheywillbesenttoreceptioncentersalloverFrance.Atthecenters,theywillbetoldhowtomakeanofficialrequestforasylum.
ThepoliceoperationtoclearStalingradcameaweekafterFrenchPresidentFrancoisHollandeorderedthedestructionofanothercampneartheportofCalais.
Thatcampwasknownas"theJungle."HundredsofmigrantsfledtoStalingradaftertheJungle’sdemolition.
CalaisisneartheEnglishChannel.ThousandsofmigrantsusedthecampasatemporarystopontheirwaytoBritain.
ManyriskedtheirlivesbytravelingthroughtheChannelTunnel,anunderwatertransportationlinkconnectingFrancetoBritain.
PresidentHollandesaid5,000migrantshadbeenevacuatedfromtheCalaiscampinthepastweekandsentto450centersaroundFrance.
HollandealsosaidhespokewithBritishPrimeMinisterTheresaMaytoensurethatBritishofficialswould"playtheirpart"inwelcomingthenewarrivals.
Afterthedemolitionof“TheJungle,”Francebeganbusinganestimated1,500unaccompaniedyoungpeopletootherpartsofFrance.MostofthemwerefromSouthSudanandAfghanistan.
Theyoungsterswillbetakentotemporarysheltersaroundthecountry,whileBritishandFrenchofficialsconsidertheirindividualcases.
Peoplewholivedinthetemporarycampshavemadelonganddangeroustrips,oftenbyboat,toEuropefromSudan,Afghanistan,Syria,orothercountries.
TheterribleconditionsinFrance’smigrantcampshavebecomeasignofEurope'sworstrefugeecrisissinceWorldWarII.
France’sInteriorMinistertoldtheReutersnewsagencythat85percentoftheCalaismigrantsareexpectedtomeetthegovernment’srequirementsforasylum.
MigrantsintheJunglefacedseveresecurityandhealthproblems,suchasscabiesandtuberculosis,accordingtoastudyin2015.Awatersourcewasalsopollutedwithdeadlybacteria.
LeighDaynes,directorofcharitygroupDoctorsoftheWorld,toldTheGuardiannewspaperthatCalaiswasa“humanitarianemergency.”Theresidentswerealreadyhungry,hesaid.ButtheirsufferingwasmadeworsebecauseoftheirunsafeanddifficulttripstoreachFrance.
Hollandesaidhiscountryshouldnotacceptthecampsbecausetheyare“notworthyofFrance.”Theyarenotalong-termanswerformigrantsandrefugees,hesaid.
ThroughoutFrance,peoplehaveshownmixedfeelingstowardtheCalaismigrants.Sometownshavebeenfilledwithprotestersforandagainstmigrants.Somelocalleaderslaunchedacampaignagainsttakingthemin.
ButsometownsaroundFrancearehappytoreceivethemigrantsfromCalais.Forexample,peopleinReimsofferedhotcoffeeandtreatsto29AfghansandSudaneseastheyarrivedinOctober.Residentshavebeencallingaidgroupstodonateclothesforthemigrantsandvolunteertheirservices.
PhilippeWattieristhedirectoroftheSalvationArmyofficeinReims.HesaidthatanumberofmigrantshaveapoorimageofFrancebecausemanypeople,includingpolice,havemistreatedthem.
Sometimes,therearethreatsofviolenceagainstmigrants.AlettertotheSalvationArmylastweekthreatenedtoburndownthebuildingswheremigrantsarestaying.
WattiersaidthehostilityintheletterissimilartofeelingsinotherpartsofEuropeandtheUnitedStates.
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