In the morning of Monday 24 October, the French authorities started clearing the Calais jungle where more than 5,000 people are housed, including a thousand unaccompanied minors. It is expected to take a week to clear the area completely.
Buses have been provided to transport migrants who agree to go to other centres and regions. By Wednesday, 145 buses are due to take people to 280 reception and orientation centres (CAO) where 7,500 beds have been reserved. The British government has agreed to take 200 children with links to the United Kingdom.
When the evacuation starts, bulldozers are due to clear the land and the tents and shacks. The French government aims to evacuate 2,400 of the 6,500 people it has counted in the camp. The people sent to CAOs will have the option of lodging asylum-requests in France or asking to be returned to their country of origin.
Belgium has been preparing for the clearing operation for a few days. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon said the country would do everything to ensure a similar camp is not set up in Belgium, and announced measures to boost staff numbers at the border. On Monday, no fewer than 120 police officers were to be mobilised to the border area and 50 have already been there since Saturday. Under the Schengen border code, Belgium has the right to carry out optional spot checks in border zones, but must notify the European Commission in advance of any systematic checks. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)