Migrant families were separated into men and women with children, while single men and unaccompanied minors formed two other groups, all of whom were taken to different accommodation centers on various buses.

During the eviction, the police kept away the press and volunteers providing assistance to migrants living on the streets of Paris.

“About 300 people, including families and unaccompanied minors, have been living there since February 14th” in tents covered with plastic sheets or blankets, according to Pierre Mathurin, head of the Paris chapter of the Utopia56 humanitarian association.

237 people had been evacuated from the same tunnel last December, most of them from Africa, and weeks before that a major demonstration by neighbors and activists demanded from the authorities a reception plan for migrants.

pgh/llp/mem/acm