'Don't destroy Calais jungle until homes are found for 10,000 refugees'

Charities operating in the Calais “jungle” today begged the French authorities to postpone demolition plans until new homes are found for 10,000 refugees.

The plea came as Home Office officials continued to wait for a list of unaccompanied children eligible to be brought over to safety in Britain.

Homelessness charity Emmaus asked for the closure be postponed because “all conditions are not met for an efficient humanitarian operation to take place.”

A church organization, Secours Catholique, said it was also opposed to a hasty clean-up the area, where squalid conditions in the makeshift camp have brought embarrassment to the authorities.

Charities and officials were holding talks at France’s Interior Ministry in Paris today, where they were demanding a detailed plan to move residents to safety.

There are concerns that children in the camp are at serious risk of abuse, with rumours that some have been abducted already by criminal gangs.

Unicef UK today welcomed moves to bring up to 400 children to Britain. Deputy Executive Director Lily Caprani said: “The coming days are crucial for protecting the vulnerable refugee children in Calais as demolition of the camp is due in just days.

“The Home Secretary’s new commitment is exactly what is needed to prevent children falling into the hands of traffickers before the bulldozers arrive.

“News of the demolition has undoubtedly scared the children in Calais, especially those alone. It is now more important than ever for the government to deliver on these promises.”

Although no firm deadline has been set for the closure of the border camp, the French president has announced it will be closed by the end of the year and residents dispersed around France.

Hundreds of children could be moved to Britain within the next fortnight, after talks between Home Secretary Amber Rudd and her French counterpart in London yesterday.

A list of minors who can travel is expected to be provided to the UK Government within days, ending bureaucratic hold-ups and opening the door for the first transfers.