Thousands Calias 'Jungle' migrants relocated from Paris streets

PARIS, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- French police cleared thousands of migrants from a makeshift Paris camp that exploded in size after the closure of the so-called "Jungle" camp in Calais, officials said.

Some 600 police officers and about 300 volunteers moved in early Friday to relocate 3,852 migrants who gathered outside the Stalingrad metro station. The migrants, most of whom were Eritrean, Somalian, Sudanese and Afghan nationals who have applied for asylum in France, were taken by 82 buses to 78 shelters in areas in Paris and other parts of France. Police described the operation as "calm."

French Housing Minister Emmanuelle Cosse arrived at 5:30 a.m. to oversee the operation. Many people had been warned of the move and asked to gather their belongings in preparation. Reporters on the scene said single men were the first to board the buses, while families, women and children were taken to different shelters. Tents and litter was promptly removed from the area.

In late October, demolition workers began dismantling the camp that had become home to refugees escaping their war-torn countries. The camp was known for its unsanitary and unsafe conditions.