'Jungle' clearance means Calais is no longer a blind alley to UK, ambassador says

The Ambassador of France in the UK has said that she hopes the people cleared from the Calais 'Jungle' will accept asylum in France and not attempt to go to the UK.

In an exclusive interview with ITV News International Affairs Editor, Rageh Omaar, Sylvie Bermann said that the camp was cleared for humanitarian reasons and said that it will also communicate to migrants that Calais is not a blind alley to the UK.

But she admitted that many people coming from Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan want to travel on to the UK as they do not have family in France and do not speak the language.

"We will convince them to accept asylum in France," she said. "You know the problem is those people... they don't speak French, they don't have family members in France. So that is the reason why they wanted to go to the UK.

"Since it is clear that they can't go through, that Calais is now a blind alley, we hope they will accept asylum in France."

She said that security will stay in Calais to use the "necessary means" to stop people trying to set up another camp in the region.

"The government policy is to clear the camps in Calais," she said. "That is the position, to dismantle it forever,"

Migrants and refugees will be relocated in other parts of France and accommodated in centres with far better conditions, she said.

"We have prepared very carefully," she said. "It is better for them to be in more comfortable centres and to be helped with their administrative procedures."