French Police Begin Operation To Clear Calais Camp
Authorities in France have begun an operation to clear a migrant camp near the port city of Calais.
Authorities say the camp, known as the jungle, holds around 6,500 migrants who are seeking to get to Britain. Nongovernmental organizations say there are more than 8,000.
On October 24, police began escorting camp residents, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, on foot to a registration center in Calais.
The migrants will be separated into families, adults, unaccompanied minors, and vulnerable individuals.
They will then be bussed to 450 refugee centers across France where they can apply for asylum.
More than 1,200 police officers have been called in to help with the operation, which is expected to last a week.
There is concern that some migrants will refuse to go because they still want to get to Britain.
Sporadic clashes broke out overnight between migrants and police, who fired tear gas.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa, and the BBC