[The Telegraph] Camp's densely populated southern section to be razed, in move NGOs say will leave thousands with nowhere to go.A French court on Thursday gave the authorities the green light for the mass eviction of migrants heading for Britain from part of the "Jungle" camp in Calais.
The court overturned a legal challenge by NGOs and ruled that the southern part of the muddy, rat-infested settlement of wooden shacks and tents can be demolished, except for places of worship and a makeshift school.
It will be the most dramatic step France has ever taken to end Calais’ migrants’ problem, which has festered for years, fuelling support for the the far-Right and causing tension with Britain.
The government says the removal of up to 1,000 migrants intent on reaching Britain is a "humanitarian operation" and the cold, squalid camp will be evacuated gradually "without the use of force".
However, the charity Help Refugees said it counted more than 3,400 people in the area to be bulldozed. Save the Children said nearly 400 unaccompanied minors, mostly aged 15 to 17, live there. Under French law, children of 15 and over cannot be forced into care.