Page 9 - atoday
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 26 February 2016
Calais camp, symbol of migrant crisis, set for destruction
ELAINE GANLEY A migrant walks in the mud in a makeshift camp where over 1,000 migrants mostly from Iraqi will be France’s most dra-
JEROME DELAY Kurdistan live in Grand-Synthe, near the northern town of Dunkerque, France, Wednesday Feb. matic step yet to end
Associated Press 24, 2016. The clock is ticking for hundreds of migrants in the nearby port city of Calais waiting for Calais’ yearslong migrant
CALAIS, France (AP) — A a judge to decide whether to postpone an eviction order in the camp locally referred to as “the problem, which has trans-
French court gave the jungle”. formed the city of nearly
state the green light Thurs- 80,000 into a high-security
day to raze makeshift (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) tension point, fueled far-
tents and lean-tos used by right sentiment and defied
hundreds of migrants at a after nearby borders have zeneuve lauded the court’s Another filthy camp known British and French efforts to
sprawling slum in Calais, been sealed by increasing decision, saying it “fully sup- as a haven for smugglers make the issue go away.
where many dream of slip- security. Officials estimate ported” the government’s near Dunkirk, France, is be- The same court in Lille or-
ping into Britain. the number of migrants strategy for dealing with ing relocated to a more dered the state in Novem-
Tamping down fears of who will be affected at 800 the camp. hygienic site with heated ber to clean up the camp
a violent confrontation, to 1,000, while humanitar- “It has never been our in- tents under the supervision by adding running water,
France’s interior minister ian organizations say over tention to send in bulldoz- of the charity group Doc- toilets and garbage bins,
promised to treat the mi- 3,000 migrants live there. ers to destroy the camp,” tors Without Borders. count the number of mi-
grants humanely and not Interior Minister Bernard Ca- Cazeneuve added. Moving the migrants out nors without families —
send in bulldozers to evict now 326 — and help those
them. in distress.
The camp in the north- As of late, however, an in-
ern port city — known as creasingly vocal backlash
“the jungle” — has been against the Calais migrants
an embarrassing chapter has been punctuated by
in Europe’s migrant crisis, militia-style violence. Truck-
and France announced ers have grown exasper-
this month that its densely ated or fearful of increas-
populated southern half ingly bold migrants trying
would be razed. The move to sneak rides across the
prompted rights groups English Channel.
and migrant advocates to A sense of anxiety mount-
sue. ed in the camp Thursday
The court in Lille ruled that ahead of the court rul-
the makeshift shelters used ing. Nearby Belgium, con-
by the migrants can be cerned about an influx of
destroyed — but that com- Calais evacuees, imple-
mon spaces like places of mented border checks.q
worship, schools and a li-
brary must be left standing. Uber faces potential fine, ban for bosses in France
Calais’ prime location —
with a major ferry port, PHILIPPE SOTTO standard service with reg- the self-employed drivers sociations and drivers are
Eurotunnel rail system and Associated Press istered professional drivers. who work with Uber. seeking more than 100 mil-
truck traffic crossing the PARIS (AP) — Uber risks mil- A Paris court wrapped up a The charges could poten- lion euros in damages over-
English Channel — has put lions of euros in damages protracted, high-profile trial tially carry prison terms, but all.
it in the crosshairs of the mi- and fines and having two Thursday targeting Thibaud the prosecutor did not rec- Their lawyers argue that tra-
grant crisis. Weary travelers top executives banned Simphal, general manag- ommend prison in her clos- ditional taxi drivers are los-
come driven by a dream from running the ride-hail- er for France, and Pierre- ing arguments. ing business due to unfair
that they will find peace ing company in France as Dimitri Gore-Coty, chief for She asked for the two ex- competition by non-profes-
and prosperity in English- a trial wrapped up Thurs- Europe, Middle East and ecutives to be banned sional drivers.
speaking Britain. Lacking day in a Paris court. Africa. The verdict will be from managing, running They claimed during the
any papers, they have to The San Francisco-based delivered June 9. or heading any compa- trial that Uber sidesteps
sneak across the Channel, company is in trouble in They are accused of com- nies in France for five years. taxes, social charges and
and at least 20 migrants France over its now-sus- plicity in practicing an ille- She also called for a 1 mil- licensing fees and works
have died trying since late pended low-cost UberPop gal taxi activity. Charges lion euro ($1.1 million) fine with unregistered, badly-
June. service, which connected also include deceptive against Uber France, a trained and improperly-in-
Officials say moving mi- clients to non-professional commercial activity and 70,000 euro ($77,000) fine sured drivers.
grants out of the Calais drivers, infuriated French violation of French privacy for Gore-Coty and a 50,000 During the sometimes
slum will be a better so- taxi drivers and prompted law by illegally stocking, euro ($55,000) fine for heated hearings, Uber was
lution for all, since many the criminal charges. Uber processing and recording Simphal. called names like “mon-
have been languishing in continues to operate its personal information about Dozens of taxi unions, as- ster,” ‘’thug” or “weasel.”q
poverty and hopelessness
