VOA标准英语2009年-France Dismantles Illegal Immigrant Camp

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
22 September 2009

After vowing¹ for months to shut down an illegal immigrant camp near Calais, the French government began dismantling² it, early Tuesday. 

 
Heavy equipment is used to clear the makeshift camp known as the 'Jungle' after migrants were evacuated³ from the camp in Calais, 22 Sep 2009
The operation to dismantle⁴ the Calais area camp was confirmed by French Immigration Minister Eric Besson, in an interview on French radio.

Besson rejects criticism over the closure, saying the zone, known locally as "the jungle", was not a humanitarian⁵ camp but rather a hub for human traffickers and a place where people were exploited. He says the law of the jungle cannot be tolerated In France.

Until recently, hundreds of illegal immigrants, many of them from Afghanistan, lived in the camp, hoping to cross the English channel to what they hoped was a better life in Britain. Many had arrived to the Calais squatter⁶ area after dangerous journeys through Asia and Europe.

As of Monday, there were about 250 illegals remaining. But local media reports many of them left before the police operation. The camp has become a source of tension among Calais residents and in France's relations with Britain, with London pushing for tighter border control.

As in several other European countries, the center-right French government has cracked down on illegal immigration in recent years. And, Mr. Besson says Europe must eradicate⁷ human trafficking.

But immigrant rights activists⁸ claim that closing the Calais camp does not solve France's illegal immigration problem, because many illegals simply move down the coast. That is what happened when the French government closed a similar camp in 2002. The illegals later moved back, and 'the jungle' was established.

Mr. Besson says the French government will be closing more migrant camps, along the coast, in the coming weeks. He says the migrants can request asylum⁹ or accept voluntary repatriation¹⁰. Others will be forcibly expelled. 

1 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

2 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

3 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

4 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 squatter   

n.擅自占地者

参考例句：

• The squatter settlements originally came into being through illegal land invasions. 违章建筑区最初是通过非法的土地占有而形成的。
• Squatter control is maintained by regular patrols and hut-to-hut checks. 当局定期逐户视察所有寮屋，以收管制之效。

7 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

10 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网