New massive migrant camp springs up in the French capital Paris – as locals call for refugees to be GIVEN Eurostar tickets and sent to the UK
The £6 million facility is in a former bus shelter in the north of the French capital close to the Eurostar hub
THE first official refugee camp in the history of Paris today opened its doors for the first time – prompting fears that it will become a magnet for thousands of UK bound migrants.
A trickle of young men was let inside the £6 million facility, which is in a former bus shelter in the north of the French capital, close to the Gare du Nord Eurostar hub.
While there are only 400 places, demand will be extremely high for the beds, showers, kitchens and even a football pitch that it will provide.
Residents will be allowed to stay for a few weeks at a time, meaning they can plan their journeys to Britain before moving on.
Related stories
Others will be transferred to accommodation centres designated for those seeking asylum in France.
A member of Emmaus Solidarite, the charity running the camp, said it would ‘allow men to do all the things they can’t do while living on the street.’
Eight ‘villages’ for 50 people have been built, and there will be 120 full-time workers, and 500 volunteers.
It follows CRS riot police last week helping to clear some 4000 migrants who were living in illegal camps nearby.
Critics of the new centre said it would help attract thousands more young men from countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea.
‘It will certainly be a magnet,’ said Gilles Kateb, a pensioner who lives nearby. ‘They should send them all directly to England instead!
‘Instead we will have to put up with thousands of unsettled young men living among us while wanting to be somewhere else. Crime will increase, and those not let into the centre will carry on living on the streets nearby.’
Migrants have meanwhile said that the new Paris accommodation centre resembles a detention centre.
It is surrounded by fences, and includes sophisticated security gates where anyone going in or out with be strictly monitored.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, said: ‘We are not being naive. This centre will not solve everything, but we finally have a worthy and humane alternative to the street settlements.’
While the newly opened camp will only be open to men, one for women and children will open for women and children in the suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine next year.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.