New camps to open in northern France

Plans move thousands of migrants into more permanent camps in northern France are expected to be given the go-ahead.

Several thousand people are staying in the camps in Calais and Dunkirk, popular spots for those seeking to cross into the United Kingdom.

The area has suffered heavy rains in recent weeks, leading one Dunkirk official to call conditions "inhumane".

But one senior official said new camps were not the solution.

One of the largest camps is in the coastal northern French town of Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk. The area's mayor, Damien Careme, told French media that, unchecked, the number of people in the camp could reach 10,000.

A new semi-permanent camp in Grande-Synthe, co-ordinated with the charity Medecins sans Frontieres, will have showers, better sanitation and more protection against cold weather.

Mr Careme said the French state was against his plan to move migrants to the new camp, and MSF said last week that regional authorities had not responded to their requests to set up the site.

But permission was expected to be granted for the 2,500-person camp later yesterday.

Some 50km (31 miles) further west along the coast in Calais, some 125 heated containers were to be opened yesterday for up to 1,500 people seeking shelter. Families living in the so-called Jungle camp will be given priority to stay on the site, set up by the charity La Vie Active.