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France's Hollande visits Calais amid 'Jungle' migrant row | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
French President Francois Hollande is visiting the port of Calais, days after setting out his plans to close the "Jungle" migrant camp there. | |
He has said he intends to close the sprawling camp and move migrants to reception centres across France. | He has said he intends to close the sprawling camp and move migrants to reception centres across France. |
Mr Hollande will meet police, port officials, and politicians but is not expected to visit the camp itself. | |
He has faced criticism over conditions in Calais, which he acknowledged were "unacceptable". | |
During Monday's visit he is also due to inaugurate an extension of the Calais port. | |
Up to 9,000 migrants live in the Jungle amid squalid conditions, many of them hoping to enter the UK illegally by hiding on lorries crossing the English Channel. | |
A UK-funded wall 1km (0.6 miles) long is being built along the main road to the port in an attempt to deter would-be stowaways. The UK government has not confirmed the cost, but it is reported to have contributed about £1.9m (€2.2m). | |
Work began last week, and is due to be finished by the end of the year. | |
Half the Jungle camp was dismantled earlier this year and, with immigration set to be a key issue in next year's French presidential election, Mr Hollande is keen to close the rest of it. | |
Speaking on Saturday, Mr Hollande promised to "completely dismantle" the Jungle and set up "reception and orientation centres" to take in asylum seekers. | |
"We will provide a humane, dignified welcome to people who will file for the right of asylum," he said. Anyone not given asylum in France would be deported. | |
France's Socialist president has not yet announced whether he will run for the presidency next year, but he is under political pressure from centre-right Republican opponents campaigning on platforms of security and national interest. | |
Among them is former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is among seven candidates seeking the Republican nomination.. | |
Mr Sarkozy visited Calais last week. |