France to begin clearing Calais «Jungle» migrant camp on Monday

Calais (dpa) - France is set to begin dismantling the so-called "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais on Monday, in the latest bid to close the slum whose overcrowded and unhygienic conditions have attracted widespread criticism over the government‘s treatment of migrants.Around 6,500 people currently live in the camp according to the latest official figures, and about 1,250 police officers will be deployed next week to help them move."We‘re clear about how delicate this operation is," the French Interior Ministry, who announced the planned clearance, said on Friday.People have gathered at Calais for years, hoping to make illegal passage across the English Channel to Britain.Six months ahead of France‘s presidential election, French President Francois Hollande has been heavily criticized by political opponents over the camp, who say it symbolizes his failure to deal with the refugee crisis.French authorities are concerned that activists from the No Borders group, which advocates free movement for all, could disrupt operations. Around 150 to 200 activists are currently thought to be in Calais.Sixty buses are scheduled to transport 3,000 migrants on Monday. Migrants will be given a choice of two refugee centres.Meanwhile, France will seek to reunite children who have relatives in Britain with their families.French authorities have been pushing to partially dismantle the makeshift refugee accommodation near its northern port city since early this year.