Evacuation of Calais refugee camp begins

The evacuation of the Calais refugee camp, the largest in France, began Monday morning.

Several immigrants, mostly Afghans, Eritreans and Sudanese, with bags of possessions in their hands, began to gather at the centers, to be transferred to one of the 450 accommodation centers opened by the French government.

Calais, the closest point to the United Kingdom from France, has provided temporary shelter to many refugees dreaming of making it across the English Channel.

The French authorities expect 60 buses with 50 immigrants each, to leave from the camp Monday, and another 45 buses on Tuesday, and 40 more on Wednesday.

A total of between 6,000 and 8,000 refugees are currently living in what is known as the "Jungle Camp" at Calais, and the authorities expect the shutdown operation to last a week.

Source: EFE