Refugee camp in Calais
© REUTERS/ Regis DuvignauThe "New Jungle" in Calais, France.
Authorities in the northern French city of Calais will send additional police forces to patrol refugee camps near the city on Wednesday, local media reported.

Police forces are being deployed upon a request by French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, the 20 minutes newspaper reported, citing local authorities.

The newspaper reported that police were expected to collaborate with the French Office of Immigration and Integration and NGOs supporting migrants.

About 4,000 migrants, whose ultimate destination is said to be Britain, are currently living in makeshift camps in Calais.

A decision to tighten security measures in the camp was made soon after a scuffle between some 200 migrants from Sudan and Afghanistan broke out in a camp earlier in September. The fracas resulted in the injuries of nine people.

Europe is currently struggling with the largest migrant crisis since World War II, as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee conflict-torn Middle Eastern and North African countries, seeking refuge in the European Union.

According to the European Commission, over 500,000 undocumented migrants have arrived in the bloc since the beginning of 2015.