Clashes break out ahead of Calais camp clear-out

  • 24/10/2016
Smoke and tear gas were fired by police on Sunday night (Reuters)
Smoke and tear gas were fired by police on Sunday night (Reuters)

Clashes have broken out in France's largest migrant camp, nicknamed the Jungle, ahead of its destruction.

Smoke and tear gas were fired by police on Sunday night, with rocks and stones thrown back by small pockets of migrants.

More than 1250 officers were on standby for the forced exodus on Monday, an operation officials admit will be risky.

Advice has already been given to those in the Calais camp on how to leave and how that they now have no choice.

They're to be bussed all over France to claim their asylum.

But some say they're not going anywhere. Osmun has been at the camp for more than a year, having fled the war-torn Darfur region in Sudan.

"The situation has become very difficult and now we don't know what we want to do," he says.

"We will still try to go to the UK."

The atmosphere at the camp is very tense. Previous attempts to clear the Jungle have ended in violent clashes and the fear of the authorities' is that there will be a repeat.

The fate of hundreds of unaccompanied minors is still in doubt. Last week, the UK began allowing some onto its shores.

Meanwhile the camp's thousands of occupants are preparing for life somewhere else.

Ahead of the French election next year, politicians have needed to be seen to deal with this issue.

However while the barriers for the bus queues are already up, with emotions running so high, just how many turn up to use them are still under question.

ITV News