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AP Photo/Jerome Delay
World News

Judge's visit to Calais "a ray of hope" ahead of clearance decision, says Christian charity

The judge from Lille went to the settlement this morning before deciding on Thursday whether French authorities can move demolish the southern section.

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

The judge was due to reach a decision today, however, it was announced today this decision is being postponed until Thursday.

Charities say that portion of "The Jungle" currently houses more than 3,000 people.

Seeking Sanctuary, a Christian group helping migrants in Calais, says it's shocked by the proposals and is warning children and families could be left with "nowhere to go".

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

It's understood 750 shipping container-homes will be made available to those affected by the planned clearance but Seeking Sanctuary is warning these are more crowded than some prisons and don't have cooking facilities.

The organisation has described the judge's visit today a last hope against migrants being evicted from the southern section of "The Jungle" but told Premier it "wasn't holding its breath".

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

Speaking on Premier's News Hour programme before news the judge's decision was being delayed until Thursday, Ben Bano said: "We know that you can gradually transform part of "The Jungle" through proper shelters and proper buildings into something that's a little bit more decent because that's actually happening in Dunkirk a few miles north. What we don't agree with is the summary clearance.

"We understand that there are up to a couple of hundred children [there]. We really are pressing for the children who wish to go to the UK - who have got family connections - for their cases to be considered but we don't think that is going to happen overnight so we are very concerned for the country as well."

"Part of the prayer [Christians can be saying for "The Jungle"] is that people will be able to live slightly better lives [and] ...find a better existence from the awful conditions that they would have fled from."

You can hear Ben Bano speaking with Premier's Aaron James by clicking below.

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