France Programs Slow Death for Calais Migrant Camp

CALAIS, France— A green light Thursday from a French court sets in motion the evacuation of a large swath of a sprawling migrant camp in Calais where thousands dream of getting to Britain, with promises of a progressive and humane process in what cou...
France Programs Slow Death for Calais Migrant Camp
A child rides his bicycle in a makeshift camp for migrants near Calais, France, Thursday Feb. 25, 2016. The clock is ticking for some hundreds of migrants waiting for a judge to decide whether to postpone an eviction order in the camp locally referred to as "the jungle". AP Photo/Jerome Delay
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CALAIS, France—A green light Feb. 25 from a French court sets in motion the evacuation of a large swath of a sprawling migrant camp in Calais where thousands dream of getting to Britain, with promises of a progressive and humane process in what could be a slow death for the wind-swept outpost.

But sceptics say the bid to end an embarrassing chapter in Europe’s migrant crisis is not over, warning that many migrants will simply scatter along the northern coast.

The state announced this month that the densely populated southern half of the camp—known as the “jungle”—would be razed. A Tuesday night deadline for migrants to pull up stakes was pushed back after human rights groups and migrants took the issue to court.

<span style="color: #000000;">Afghan children ride their bicycles in a makeshift migrants camp near Calais, France, on Feb. 25. A French court has given the green light for the state to evict some hundreds of migrants from their shelter in part of the camp locally referred to as "the jungle." (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)</span>
Afghan children ride their bicycles in a makeshift migrants camp near Calais, France, on Feb. 25. A French court has given the green light for the state to evict some hundreds of migrants from their shelter in part of the camp locally referred to as "the jungle." (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)