Paris to build its first official refugee camp

PARIS

Authorities in the French capital are set to build its first approved refugee camp, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced Tuesday.

"Today, Europe is not facing up to the humanitarian crisis of these refugees. Nor is our own country,” Hidalgo told a press conference at city hall.

"Paris will not stand by and do nothing as the Mediterranean becomes a graveyard of refugees," she added.

Hidalgo said “several sites in the north of Paris" have been identified for the location of the camp, expected to open in roughly a month's time. It will be built in accordance with international UN standards and the exact location will be announced in a few days.

"The accommodation will be able to be flexible and quickly installed. #RefugeesWelcome," Hidalgo said on Twitter.

Paris previously closed two unofficial camps set up by charities last year.

"I hope that the center will be a welcoming place to evaluate these people's situations, and also a site that allows the lodging of those in need," Hidalgo said.

Paris is considered a transit point for thousands of immigrants and refugees who try to reach Calais, from where they try to cross to the U.K.