Calais Jungle: Concerns raised for children sleeping rough tonight

Volunteers working in Calais have expressed concern for around 100 unaccompanied children and many adults, who are sleeping rough tonight after most of the 'Jungle' camp was burnt down. Last night, large fires destroyed restaurants, shops, shelters and tents inside the camp, as well as volunteer-run projects such as the Women and Children's Bus, Baloo's Youth Centre and the Hummingbird Safe Space. Fires continued throughout the day, and many remaining residents were evacuated by police and prevented from entering the Jungle for much of the afternoon while fire crews attended. They returned around 4pm.

A number of minors not yet registered for the container camp slept under a bridge on the Jungle's perimeter last night. Registrations began again in the morning but were stopped around lunchtime. The container camp is reportedly full now, and various NGOs, agencies and volunteers are searching for a solution to house the approximately 100 minors not under state protection who are still without a 'safe' place to sleep tonight.

Many of the children housed in the containers are said to be distressed by the destruction of the places where they were staying, and affected by smoke from the fires.

Around noon, Fabienne Buccio, regional prefect, told Associated Press news agency that 'operations to clear the camp had been completed', and that there were 'no more migrants in the camp'. However, numerous NGOs and Seeking Sanctuary volunteers report that this is untrue. At least 50% of shelters and tents in the Jungle are still standing, and there are many residents still there this evening.

Authorities have said there will be no more buses to CAOs (accomodation centres) tomorrow. The last buses today were meant to leave around 8pm.

Phil Kerton and Ben Bano from Seeking Sanctuary said: "The world needs to know that contrary to reports, there are still hundreds if not thousands of refugees in the Jungle, including unaccompanied children who tried to register and were told to return to this hellhole. It's dark in an hour. They have nowhere to sleep."

Gavin Lee from the BBC tweeted tonight: "Things still unclear for children sleeping under the stars tonight in the ‪#Jungle‬. French gov is able to put 20 children in warehouse, not all."

Source: Seeking Sanctuary