FEARS have been raised about unaccompanied children as French police begin an operation to clear thousands of people from the ‘Jungle’ migrant camp.

A major operation to clear the camp in Calais began yesterday, as migrants queued to be processed before they are moved to other refugee centres in France.

Refugees have been told they must leave the camp or risk arrest and deportation.

But supporters of the migrant cause in south Essex have raised concerns about provisions to find the migrants alternative places to live.

Father Dominic Howarth, priest for the parish of Our Lady and All Saints in Basildon, estimates that his church has taken around £75,000 in aid to Calais in the last few months.

He said: “We have seen the camp get larger, then smaller in February when they demolished part of the camp, and then get larger again.

“I have mixed feelings about this, the Jungle is no place for anyone to be living so it is good in a sense but it is unclear whether provisions for refugees in France are adequate.

“In February they underestimated how many people were living in the area and it led to inadequate provisions.

“We will have to wait and see – we can only hope it is the beginning of a new, peaceful and dignified life for refugees.

“In the meantime, we have to remember these people have already been through such trauma and fled from real horror, oppression and war.

“Also there is the question of the children, there are still several hundred children in the camp who have not been relocated.”

French President Francois Hollande announced last month that the camp will close before winter, with its estimated 6,500 inhabitants dispersed around the country.

An emergency legal bid by several aid groups to delay the closure of the Jungle camp was rejected by a French court last week.

Julian Ware-Lane, a Labour councillor in Southend who put a motion forward to support unaccompanied children in Calais, said: “There are still a large number of children in the camp so I wish they had waited. I worry what will happen to them now, they are vulnerable as it is.

“I am not an expert on the subject but the unaccompanied children were promised a place in the UK and until that happens, and we can provide decent homes and accommodation for these children, they should have waited.”

The weekend saw violent clashes at the camp with camp residents throwing stones at French riot police on the perimeter, who fought back by firing tear gas.

Care4Calais predicted it will re-emerge following demolition as refugees and migrants will continue to arrive in the northern French port city.

A further 85 buses are expected to arrive today and tomorrow as the mass eviction continues.