(VOVworld) – Thousands of refugees flocked to Paris several days after France closed an encampment in the vicinity of the northern port city of Calais. French authorities are facing new challenges in settling social problems and avoiding a humanitarian crisis in Paris.
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| The refugee camp in Calais before being cleared (Photo: Reuters) |
According to the French authority, the number of migrants flocking to Paris has increased sharply since the illegal camp near Calais was cleared. Along crowded avenues and close to a canal in northeastern Paris, hundreds of tents have been set up by migrants, mostly Africans. The tents have numbered 750 equivalent 2,500 migrants, who are present on Paris streets, 1,500 people higher than several days before.
What is happening runs counter to the announcement by Calais administration that from 6,000 to 8,000 refugees will have new resettlement. The prompt clearance of Calais camp has caused instability in France and leaves a problem to be solved for the 18-month migrant crisis in Paris. Police put barriers around subway areas and migrants moved to other areas to build their tents. Employees of the Terre d’Asile organization based near Jaures subway station, where migrants should first apply for their asylum in France, said things have deteriorated in Paris. Migrants have always moved between Calais and Paris depending on the actions of the police.
The Paris administration has decided to open 2 more centers for receiving migrants but they have only 1,000 beds. Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve said makeshift tents will be disassembled in the next few days. There were concerns that hundreds of migrants, who were refused to be sent to one of the 450 centers across France, would flood Paris, pushing the humanitarian crisis from Calais to Paris. The concerns have grown as the camp in Calais severely impacted local people’s life. Violence occurred when refugees attempted to walk through the Eurotunnel to reach the UK, which is considered a heaven for migrants.