France will begin dismantling the "Jungle" migrant camp in the port of Calais on Monday morning, officials have said, reports BBC News.
Authorities say some 7,000 people live in the camp in squalid conditions. They will be offered placements in refugee centres across the country.
Several of the children there are expected to be relocated to the UK.
The "Jungle" has become a powerful symbol of Europe's failure to cope with the migrant crisis.
Many of the migrants attempt to reach the UK by boarding lorries as they approach ports or the Channel Tunnel.
Minors will be taken to the camp's converted shipping containers during the dismantling of the rest of the "Jungle", the interior ministry said in a statement.
The migrants who currently live in the containers - which were being used as temporary accommodation instead of makeshift tents - will be evacuated to make room for the minors.
There are 7,500 beds available in centres across France for the Calais migrants. Some 60 buses will be used to remove them from the camp.
Officials say they are worried about crowds rushing to leave the camp during the first stage of the operation. From Tuesday, heavy machinery will be sent to clear the tents and shelters that have been left behind.
The interior ministry said that police forces "might be forced to intervene" if faced with resistance.
Several children from the camp are expected to be relocated to the UK.
French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve had held talks on this issue with the UK's Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the statement added. Discussions, it said, "were sometimes difficult as they can be between close partners".
The "Jungle" has played host to scenes of both squalor and of violence, as migrants, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, attempt to board lorries bound for the UK, clashing with drivers and police in the process.
A UK-funded wall 1-kilometre long (0.6 miles) 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 2.2 million euros (£1.9m).
Read more of this report from BBC News.
See also: NGOs drop support for 'ill-prepared' Calais Jungle evacuation