Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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96. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will engage with his French counterpart in order to request that work to dismantle the so-called jungle migrant camp in Calais be halted until a comprehensive plan for the resettlement of the residents of the camp is finalised. [32261/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The French authorities recently announced that they would close the unofficial migrant camp in Calais by the end of this year and move the approximately 9,000 inhabitants to new accommodation in reception centres across the country. For unaccompanied minors, there will be specific accommodation arrangements.

President Hollande has said that this was being done to “guarantee the security of the people of Calais, to maintain public order and to ensure for the migrants and refugees that conditions are dignified”.

The people in the Calais camps are under the jurisdiction of the French authorities. Under EU rules, they have the right to apply for international protection in France.