Calais ‘jungle’ migrants hope for last minute reprieve

Thousands of migrants and refugees face eviction from their homes in France’s Jungle camp unless a judge gives them a last-minute reprieve, an aid charity has warned.

French state authorities last week gave those living in the southern part of the sprawling site near Calais until 8pm local time (7pm GMT) on Tuesday to quit their makeshift homes or face bulldozers being sent in.

Refugee organisations are pinning their hopes on a court hearing due to take place in Lille in the afternoon.

A judge will inspect the muddy paths, makeshift shops, homes and school on Tuesday morning to decide whether razing the southern part of the shanty town would constitute “a violation of fundamental human rights”, as maintained in a lawsuit by 10 humanitarian associations and 238 migrants.

If the tribunal approves the evacuation, the migrants have been given until 8pm to leave the jungle. The prefect of Calais, Fabienne Buccio, says it would then be dismantled on Wednesday.

The French government says between 800 and 1,000 people are to be evacuated.

But volunteers with L’Auberge des Migrants and Help Refugees counted 3,455 people living in the threatened area, including 440 minors.

A group of British activists, including the actor Jude Law and the playwright Tom Stoppard, joined a recital in a makeshift theatre in the jungle on February 21st.

They were joined by actress Juliet Stevenson and comedian Shappi Khorsandi at the Letters Live event.

They appealed for minors with relatives in Britain to be allowed to go there. The Austrian director Michael Haneke intends to shoot a film in the jungle this spring.

The French government wants to limit the encampment to 125 heated converted freight containers, which could house 1,500 people, and the adjacent Jules Ferry Centre, which can house 500 women and children. Ms Buccio says 2,000 migrants in a city of 70,000 is a “proportionate” number.

But the migrants are reluctant to live in the “secure” area of the jungle, where they must register and check in and out by handprints.

Meanwhile, Eurotunnel has asked the British and French governments to reimburse it €29 million for lost revenue during the cross-Channel migrant crisis.

The Chunnel operator faced heavy disruption to its services last summer as migrants based at the Jungle made repeated bids to reach Britain.

-with PA