France Begins Operation to Close ‘Jungle’ Camp
France began clearing thousands of people from a migrant camp in the port city of Calais known as the ‘Jungle’ ahead of its planned demolition this week.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 people have been living in the camp in the hope of reaching the U.K., including over 1,000 unaccompanied children.
France had vowed to permanently dismantle the settlement by the end of the year and relocate its residents to migrant reception centers around the country. The U.K. last week took in nearly 200 children from the camp.
Some ‘Jungle’ residents protested the plan ahead of the demolition, burning toilet blocks and clashing with police.
Yet the first day of the clearance operation was relatively calm, with hundreds of people boarding buses to reception centers under the watch of 1,200 French police.
Refugee advocates warn that the operation may get more difficult later this week as French authorities try to move people who are unwilling to be relocated and begin the demolition of the camp.
Protesters Torch Asylum Offices at Greek Island Camp
Dozens of protesters set fire to temporary offices set up by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) at a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos to protest delays in processing their asylum applications.
A group of around 70 people in the Moria camp pelted containers used by EASO with stones and covered them with burning blankets.
Several of the temporary offices were badly damaged in the protest, and it may take several days for the processing of asylum claims to resume, EASO officials said. Greek police arrested 22 people after the protest.
Frustration has been building at Moria and other refugee camps around Greece, where conditions are poor and it often takes weeks or months to review people’s claims for asylum in Europe.
Some 66,000 people are stranded in Greece, including 15,000 on the Greek islands. Moria, which currently houses 5,000 people in a 3,500-capacity camp, was partially burned down during a protest last month.
Iraqis Fleeing Mosul Battle Trapped at Syria Border
Hundreds of Iraqis trying to flee the battle for Mosul are stuck at the border with Syria, Agence France-Presse reports.
Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, are advancing on the Iraqi city in an effort to recapture it from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) militant group.
Civilians trying to escape fighting in the area have fled towards the Syrian border, and thousands have sought shelter in the Syrian refugee camp in al-Hol.
Several hundred people have been stranded on the Iraqi side of the border for some 10 days, leaving them exposed to the elements and to shelling from nearby ISIS militants, AFP reported.
Local officials told the news agency that the delays were due to the security procedures required to ensure that ISIS fighters do not enter Syria along with civilians.