Mass exodus from Calais camp gets under way

migrants: Fleet of buses begins to disperse hundreds from ‘Jungle’

The mass exodus of refugees and migrants from the ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais is under way, with buses starting to disperse hundreds of its residents across France.

Crowds carrying rucksacks, holdalls and wheelie-bags, many with scarves over their faces, surged towards the warehouse where processing was taking place as police opened the gates just after 7am UK time yesterday.

Police vans and fire engines had gathered close to the camp as migrants and refugees queued in the dark to register for accommodation centres elsewhere in France after being told they must leave or risk arrest and deportation.

People in the queues said they had no idea where they were going but many seemed resigned to leaving the sprawling camp, where demolition work is expected to begin today.

Shortly before midday, at least 50 armed riot police marched in to control the crowd, as people started to push and shove at the front.

While small scuffles broke out and punches were thrown, most people waited patiently, crammed inside the barriers, which police then widened to give them more space.

The general atmosphere was less volatile than after-dark scenes at the weekend when violent clashes saw camp residents throwing stones at French riot police on the perimeter, who fought back by firing tear gas.

An officer on the ground said around 1,250 police and gendarmes have been drafted in to ensure the eviction runs smoothly.

The Care4Calais refugee crisis charity said it was hoping for a peaceful day after it supplied people with thousands of rucksacks over the weekend and worked to prepare them psychologically for yesterday’s mass eviction.

Some 60 government-organised buses will take thousands of the camp’s residents to temporary reception centres where they will have to claim asylum in France within a set period of time or face deportation.

Aziz, from Darfur, Sudan, said he was happy to leave the camp, where he has spent the last four months.

The 27-year-old told the Press Association: “I don’t like this place at all because I want to go to a city area.”

He said he would claim asylum in France and is hoping to go to the west of the country.

Picture: PA. French police officers go in to stop a fight among a large crowd of migrants as they line up at a processing centre in the ‘Jungle’ near Calais, northern France, as the mass exodus from the migrant camp begins.