Francois Hollande sets out plans to close Calais Jungle

Francois Hollande has set out plans to close the 'Jungle' camp in Calais which is currently home to large numbers of refugee.

The Jungle, which has been the source of much controversy as refugees, predominantly from Africa and the Middle East, have endured its squalid conditions in the hope of crossing the border into the UK in passing lorries.

Earlier in the year Calais' mayor Natacha Bouchart suggested the UK should take responsibility for the camp.

As politicians continue to search for an answer to the growing migrant crisis, Hollande announced his plans on Saturday, saying: "There should be no camp in France."

Instead, following the first phase of dismantling the camp earlier this year, Hollande says refugees would be sent to reception centres, such as the one he visited in Tours on Saturday, which would hold 40-50 people.

Migrants who failed to gain asylum in the four months would be permitted to stay at the reception centre would face deportation, he said.

The Camp, which opened in 1999 as a Red Cross centre but was closed down in 2002 after being overwhelmed by the numbers flocking to it, currently houses somewhere in the region of 10,000 refugees.

That number has risen exponentially since September 2014 when the Guardian newspaper estimated approximately 1,300 refugees were living in Calais.

The migrant crisis looks set to play a key role in next year's French presidential election and across Europe, with growing levels of concern about immigration.

Hollande's would-be presidential rival Nicolas Sarkozy taking a hard line on immigration and has previously stated that dismantling the Jungle ahead of further enforcement of France's borders would be a waste of time.

Earlier in the week world leaders met at the UN summit on refugees in New York to discuss the ongoing issue, ahead of which UK Prime Minister Theresa May was criticised by charities, religious leaders and the opposition for agreeing to take only 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next four years.

Speaking to the Guardian, May defended her position, stating: "We have always taken the view that we can help more Syrian refugees by putting aid into the region."