Violence flares as migrant camp closes

FRANCE: Calais was gripped by violence yesterday as police clashed with migrants and fired tear gas into the crowds before the biggest refugee evacuation in France for decades.

Hundreds of officers and heavy vehicles were brought in and a security cordon put around the camp yesterday) to thwart attacks by anarchists, many from Britain, bent on stirring up violence.

The French government vowed to deal severely with the ‘‘No Borders’’ militants, who have urged followers to confront the police as evict all inhabitants of the ‘‘Jungle’’.

Radicals were rounded up at motorway checkpoints on their way to Calais but police admitted that several dozen were already inside the camp, having infiltrated it in the past week.

Officials and charity workers fanned out through the muddy shantytown trying to convince the 6000-8000 people there that they had no option but to accept transport to one of nearly 300 new ‘‘temporary reception centres’’ around France where their cases will be processed.

Home Office officials sped up the processing of applications from children with ties to Britain and ‘‘vulnerable’’ children who will be accepted under certain conditions. Nearly 200 children have left for Britain over the past five days and the French hope that Britain will take a total of 600 by the end of this week. About 1300 minors remain in the camp, where they will be lodged in a ‘‘village’’ of containers while their cases are assessed.

The Home Office was accused of ignoring warnings that the arrival of hundreds of child refugees would exacerbate the shortage of foster carers. The Local Government Association (LGA) said it had been warning ministers for a year that a plan would be needed to fund and locate foster places for the children expected to arrive.

David Simmonds, of the LGA, said: ‘‘We are told now to expect the arrival of a large number of children, some of whom have been arriving over the weekend. That is a huge challenge for councils being asked to find foster placements . . . and also to carry out family checks, very quickly.

‘‘This is a situation that has been on the boil for the best part of a year now . . . The process would have cost a lot less and been a lot more straightforward if we had used that time to plan it.’’ - The Times