This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Calais, France • France began the mass evacuation Monday of the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle," a mammoth project to erase the humanitarian blight on its northern border, where thousands fleeing war or poverty have lived in squalor, most hoping to sneak into Britain.
Before dawn broke, long lines of migrants waited in chilly weather to board buses in the port city of Calais.
Closely watched by more than 1,200 police, the first of dozens of buses began transferring them to reception centers around France where they can apply for asylum. Authorities were expected to begin tearing down thousands of muddy tents and fragile shelters Tuesday as the migrants vacated them.
The sprawling camp in the sand dunes of northern France became emblematic of Europe's migrant crisis and quickly evolved into Europe's largest slum, supported by aid groups, and a black eye on France's image.
"It's not good, the jungle," said Mahmoud Abdrahman, 31, of Sudan. "Eating not good. Water not good, shelter not good, no good toilets." He said he would leave Tuesday when lines were shorter.
Home to migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and elsewhere, the closing of the camp fell like a stone on many as the reality of the evacuation sunk in and plans had to be made. Uncertainty and a lack of precise information left many fearful.
"What should I do?" asked a 14-year-old newly arrived Afghan.
By nightfall Monday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 1,918 people had been processed and sent to 80 centers around France. Another 400 unaccompanied minors were housed in heated shelters at the camp. The numbers were lower than the 3,000 expected to be evacuated Monday. The operation, expected to last a week, would continue as long as necessary, Cazeneuve said. "This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is," he said.
Authorities say the camp holds nearly 6,500 migrants, while aid groups put the number at more than 8,300, with more than 1,200 unaccompanied minors among them. Unaccompanied minors, many with family members in Britain, were to be housed on-site in containers set up earlier this year as their files are studied in London to see if they qualify for a transfer across the English Channel. In a breakthrough, Cazeneuve announced late Monday that Britain had agreed to take in unaccompanied minors with family ties in Britain, an important step after months of prodding by France.
Officials have said that there will be a solution for each migrant, though expulsion may be among them for those who don't qualify for asylum.