French president calls on Britain to address migration crisis in Calais

Britain should take part in efforts to manage migration crisis in French port city of Calais, where thousands are camping in rickety tents in hope to reach London, French President Francois Hollande said on Monday.

During a visit to Calais "jungle," Hollande added he wanted "to restate determination that the British authorities play their part in the humanitarian effort that France is undertaking and that they continue to do that in the future."

"It is not because the United Kingdom has taken a sovereign decision that it frees itself from its obligations regarding France," he said.

The French head of state also confirmed that Calais camp, where about 9,000 migrants who fled war zones live, will be "completely" and "definitively" dismantled.

"The situation is not acceptable. Our objectives are clear: we must guarantee the safety of Calais citizens, maintain public order and ensure dignified conditions for migrants," Hollande stressed.

In a visit to migrants reception centre in Tours, southwest Paris, on Saturday, Hollande unveiled a plan to disperse migrants who are living in the French port city into groups of 40 to 50 people for a limited period between three and four months.

The migrants who fit the asylum criteria will stay in France while those who do not will be sent home, according to the French president.

He also pledged to provide thousands of places for Calais migrants at "reception and orientation centres" over the coming weeks.

France promises to receive 30,000 refugees over the next two years as part of European Union proposal to redistribute 160,000 refugees across European states. The move was aimed to help struggling Greece and Italy to cope with chaotic flows of migrants at their doors.

Escalating wars in Syria and Iraq, in addition to persistent political instability in many African countries and in the Middle East, forced millions of people to risk their lives to seek better life in Europe. Endit