UK to contribute £36m to Calais 'Jungle' clearance

The UK Government will contribute £36m towards the clearance and security of the Calais 'Jungle' camp, the Home Secretary says.

In a statement given to the House of Commons, Amber Rudd said the clearance was in the national interest of "both the UK and France… an important step in bringing to an end the difficult situation".

She said: "While responsibility for Calais lies with the French government, the juxtaposed controls are a vital part of the UK's border security and a valuable economic link.

"That's why the UK Government will be contributing up to £36m to maintain the security of these controls, to support the camp clearance and to ensure in the long-term that the camp is kept closed."

Image Caption:Migrants living in the 'Jungle' migrant camp

The money will also go towards keeping migrant children safe in France, she said.

:: LIVE: Buses remove migrants from Calais

Ms Rudd's speech came as the evacuation to remove thousands of refugees from the camp to centres across France got under way on Monday before the site is closed.

Work to transfer children to the UK started before this, she said.

Almost 200 children, including 60 girls - many identified as at high risk of sexual exploitation - have been moved to Britain in the past two weeks, and officials have interviewed a further 800 in the camp in the last week.

Ms Rudd vowed to bring more children from Calais to the UK in the near future, saying priority would be given to under-12s as well as those considered at a high risk of sexual exploitation and those likely to be granted refugee status in the UK.

However, she said it was important the work did not encourage more children to head to Calais.

She said UK personnel were working with French counterparts on the ground there and would continue to do so "for as long as necessary".

Ms Rudd said the priorities were to "keep our borders secure, to tackle the criminal gangs that profit from the lives of the vulnerable and to ensure those in the camp in need of protection are moved to places of safety".

However, the Government's handling of the refugee crisis was criticised by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, who said: "We refused for far too long to go into the camp and identify those who might have a legal right to come to the UK."