Hollande vows to tear down notorious Calais refugee camp

Saturday, 24 September 2016 10:24 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 24 September 2016 10:24 PM ]

French President Francois Hollande holds a press conference after visiting a Shelter and Orientation center for migrants on September 24, 2016. (Photos by AFP)

French President Francois Hollande has vowed to tear down the Calais refugee camp and block any plan for similar establishments in the country.

Hollande made the comments on Saturday, two days ahead of a scheduled visit to the notorious "Jungle" camp located near Calais, where between 7,000 and 10,000 refugees live.

"There will be no camps in France," he said, vowing to "completely dismantle" the camp and to establish "reception and orientation centers around the country" for asylum-seekers.

"We will provide a humane, dignified welcome to people who will file for the right of asylum," he stressed, while noting that people whose asylum requests are denied "will be escorted out of the country. Those are the rules and they are fully aware of them."

Riot police disperse migrants trying to get into trucks heading to Great Britain, on September 21, 2016 in Calais.

He added that his country would be accepting a further 80,000 refugees by the end of 2016.

Meanwhile, the leaders of several European countries gathered in the Austrian capital Vienna for a summit aimed at restricting the flow of asylum seekers into Europe.

The meeting was called by Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern and was attended by leaders of 10 countries, including Germany, Greece, and Hungary.

This file photo taken on September 16, 2015 shows refugees standing behind a fence at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos.

Giant refugee city

Following the meeting, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban suggested that a “giant refugee city" be set up on the Libyan coast with the aim of processing refugees arriving from other African nations.

The Hungarian leader, who sparked controversy last year by erecting a razor wire fence along his country's southern border, also stressed that the EU’s borders should be placed under "total control."

Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, who are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

Many blame major European powers for the unprecedented exodus, saying their policies have led to a surge in terrorism and war in the violence-hit regions, forcing more people out of their homes.

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