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Calais migrants: France begins to clear 'Jungle' camp

More than 1,200 police and officials have begun operation to clear the 'Jungle' migrant camp in Calais which has been housing 7,000 people.

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More than 1,200 police and officials in France have begun an operation to clear the "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais, reports BBC News.

The camp has been housing some 7,000 people in squalid conditions.

Migrants queued peacefully to be processed, and the first of some 60 coaches that will carry them to refugee centres across France, have now left.

There is concern that some migrants will refuse to go because they still want to get to Britain, and there were some clashes over the weekend.

The demolition of the camp is expected to take place on Tuesday.

The UK has begun to accept some of the estimated 1,300 unaccompanied children from the camp.

The first group without family ties to the UK has arrived in Britain under the "Dubs amendment" rules, which grant refuge to the most vulnerable.

The processing points at the Jungle camp opened at about 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

The BBC's Simon Jones, at the camp, says queuing had begun four hours earlier.

He said most people seemed in good spirits despite the slightly chaotic scenes. But one Sudanese man shouted: "Our dream is over."

The migrants are being placed into separate queues to determine who are in families, travelling alone or whether they are in vulnerable categories.

After processing they will leave for 450 centres in various parts of France and be given the opportunity to claim asylum. If they do not, they could face deportation.

Read more of this report from the BBC.