LOC11:24
08:24 GMT
PARIS, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- French President Francois Hollande on Monday vowed to close a controversial refugee camp near the Channel port city of Calais, and he said this closure would be definitive, but he also called on Britain to take a share of this burden.
In an early morning visit to the Calais region - but not the sprawling refugee camp known as "The Jungle - Hollande said in a televised statement that he would take measures to "receive and re-orient" the estimated 9,000 or more inhabitants of "The Jungle" and he promised space was being set up for this operation.
Accompanied by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who is in charge of security at the troubled camp, the French leader said, "there should be no camps in France", a position he took last week when he said "France is not a country of migrant camps."
"We must completely and definitively dismantle the camp," Hollande said early Monday on "I-Tele" in front of local officials and security personnel.
There have been mounting clashes between residents of the Calais region, police and migrants, most of whom are trying to get to Britain.
"This is obviously an exceptional operation, as we are in an exceptional situation," Hollande said of the closure.
He also called on Britain to "take its share" of the operation of re-housing the migrants and closing the refugee camp, where there is considerable illness and crime and rivalries between Syria, Iraqi, Afghan and other nationalities.
Britain and France have a bilateral agreement whereby France will prevent would-be migrants from crossing the channel via the Eurotunnel or via trucks taking ferries to British ports.
Britain helps provide some financing for security operations and has deployed some police on the French side of the Channel.
France also inaugurated last week the construction of a one-kilometre, four-metre-high wall to seal off the port area and prevent infiltrations by migrants. (End)
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