- Title: Child organisations concerned over fate of "Jungle" camp minors
- Date: 27th October 2016
- Summary: CALAIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) BACK OF MIGRANTS WRAPPED IN BLANKETS WALKING AWAY FROM RESETTLEMENT CENTRE, HEADING BACK TO "JUNGLE" CAMP VARIOUS OF GROUP OF MIGRANTS, MAINLY YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH MANY CARRYING BAGS AND WRAPPED IN BLANKETS, HEADING BACK TO "JUNGLE" CAMP FROM CLOSED RESETTLEMENT CENTRE VARIOUS OF GROUP OF MIGRANTS, MAINLY YOUNG PEOPLE, STANDING BY RIOT POLICE LINED UP NEAR "JUNGLE" MAIN ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAVE THE CHILDREN SPOKESPERSON, DOROTHY SANG, SAYING: "Well last night we know that lots of children were sleeping outside, some of them outside the warehouse. We actually had a group of people, three Eritrean boys - 13 and 14 years old - who were outside and refused a place to sleep last night. So we are really concerned about them now. We understand that they are clearing the camp. Most people are outside, the diggers have gone in, but we know that there are still children outside the container space, which is for children, and they are not being allowed in at the moment." VARIOUS OF GROUP OF MIGRANTS, MAINLY YOUNG PEOPLE, FILING PAST RIOT POLICE LINED UP UNDER A BRIDGE NEAR "JUNGLE" MAIN ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF GROUPS OF MIGRANTS WALKING PAST RIOT POLICE, RIOT POLICE VEHICLES LINED UP OUTSIDE "JUNGLE", HEADING BACK TO CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAVE THE CHILDREN SPOKESPERSON, DOROTHY SANG, SAYING: "As the diggers have come in, there were still fires going yesterday. I know that lots of children were sleeping under the bridge, some outside the warehouse. Where they've gone now, we can't be sure. We also know from yesterday and the night before that, that lots of children have fled, they've gone elsewhere. This is exactly what we didn't want to happen. We didn't want children losing faith in the system and running out because we are not going to be able to protect them." VARIOUS OF BLANKETS AND OPEN LUGGAGE USED AS MAKESHIFT BEDS UNDER BRIDGE NEXT TO "JUNGLE" ENTRANCE WHERE SAVE THE CHILDREN SAYS MINORS OVERNIGHTED RIOT POLICEMEN SPEAKING TO MIGRANTS UNDER BRIDGE, STANDING BY BARBED WIRE FENCE RIOT POLICE WALKING PAST OUTDOORS OVERNIGHT SPOT UNDER THE BRIDGE / BLANKETS USED AS MAKESHIFT BEDS AMIDST RUBBISH CALAIS REGIONAL PREFECT, FABIENNE BUCCIO, SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) CALAIS REGIONAL PREFECT, FABIENNE BUCCIO, SAYING: "We passed on a message onto associations: we told them that, should they find migrants, especially minors, we are still here, we stand ready to process them. So, last night around nine o'clock in the evening, the HCR (French acronym for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the Salam organisation (local Calais association), brought us a total of 68 minors that we welcomed and that we hosted in an area planned for that, I'm sure you have seen it, so they slept within the SAS (registration centre), and this morning they were taken to the CAO (orientation and welcome centres) specialised in processing minors." VARIOUS OF GROUPS OF MIGRANTS WALKING PAST RIOT POLICE STANDING NEXT TO MAKESHIFT OVERNIGHT SPOT UNDER BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (French) CALAIS REGIONAL PREFECT, FABIENNE BUCCIO, SAYING: "Clearance work continues this morning, it has resumed at the La Lande camp ("Jungle"). The tours of the social workers resumed as well. However, the SAS (processing centre) has closed down. This morning you could all see that there were groups in front of the SAS, they are not La Lande camp inhabitants. They are newcomers, and it is not Calais' role to make the SAS here a point of entry for all of France's migrants." GROUP OF MIGRANTS STANDING IN FRONT OF POLICE VEHICLES PARKED ALONG MAIN ENTRANCE AND BORDER WITH THE "JUNGLE" CAMP VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS, SOME CARRYING BAGS AND WRAPPED IN BLANKETS, OUTSIDE "JUNGLE"
- Embargoed: 11th November 2016 09:49
- Keywords: Calais migrants Jungle camp minors children Buccio demolition
- Location: CALAIS, FRANCE
- City: CALAIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00155S5SNB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Child organisations in the Calais "Jungle" on Thursday (October 27) expressed concerned over the fate of unaccompanied minors after French authorities claimed they had finished clearing the shanty town built by migrants who had hoped to cross to Britain but who are now mostly being dispersed around France.
A resettlement centre that has been sending camp inhabitants on to reception centres across France as part of the shutdown process was closed on Thursday morning as a group of about 100 migrants, mainly young people, were seen filing past riot gear-clad police who have been overseeing the camp clearance since the beginning of the week.
Spokeswoman for Save the Children, Dorothy Sang, told Reuters that there was confusion and a dangerous situation in the "Jungle" at present.
"Well last night we know that lots of children were sleeping outside, some of them outside the warehouse. We actually had a group of people, three Eritrean boys - 13 and 14 years old - who were outside and refused a place to sleep last night. So we are really concerned about them now. We understand that they are clearing the camp. Most people are outside, the diggers have gone in, but we know that there are still children outside the container space, which is for children, and they are not being allowed in at the moment," she said.
Sand added that Save the Children had been calling for the demolition not to take place while they could not account for all children.
"As the diggers have come in, there were still fires going yesterday. I know that lots of children were sleeping under the bridge, some outside the warehouse. Where they've gone now, we can't be sure. We also know from yesterday and the night before that, that lots of children have fled, they've gone elsewhere. This is exactly what we didn't want to happen. We didn't want children losing faith in the system and running out because we are not going to be able to protect them," Sang said, standing next to the spot under a bridge by the main entrance of the "Jungle" where she said minors had overnighted. Blankets used as makeshift beds and luggage were still visible.
Calais Regional Prefect Fabienne Buccio however said all minors had been taken care of during the night.
"We passed on a message onto associations: we told them that, should they find migrants, especially minors, we are still here, we stand ready to process them. So, last night around nine o'clock in the evening, the HCR (French acronym for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the Salam organisation (local Calais association), brought us a total of 68 minors that we welcomed and that we hosted in an area planned for that, I'm sure you have seen it, so they slept within the SAS (registration centre), and this morning they were taken to the CAO (orientation and welcome centres) specialised in processing minors," she told a news briefing.
Buccio added that migrants arriving at the "Jungle" since demolition of the camp began cannot expect to be resettled by the local authorities.
"Clearance work continues this morning, it has resumed at the La Lande camp ("Jungle"). The tours of the social workers resumed as well. However, the SAS (processing centre) has closed down. This morning you could all see that there were groups in front of the SAS, they are not La Lande camp inhabitants. They are newcomers, and it is not Calais' role to make the SAS here a point of entry for all of France's migrants," she said.
Buccio added that the site was empty and that the resettlement of more than 5,000 people was complete, and that it would be cleared of remaining shelters and debris by Monday of next week. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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