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The attack on the £4m buildings - which opened in the 16th arrondissement on Saturday - happened while families were inside, including young children. It follows the French authorities destroying a series of illegal camps across the city, many containing UK bound migrants. Thomas Lauret, a Socialist councillor, said: “I strongly condemn the arsonists who again tried to damage the centre for the homeless in the 16th last night, inauguration day.

GETTY The construction site of a housing centre for homeless people in Paris being built in October

“The individuals reportedly threw inflammable products inside and tried to set fire to the partially occupied centre.” Mr Lauret used Twitter to condemn 'these odious acts' and called for the attackers to be arrested. There were a total of 27 adults and 24 children inside at the time, and all had to be evacuated.

GETTY This photo was taken on October 17 when the construction was staking place

The centre, which is made up of five wooden buildings containing 24 housing units each, has gone up next to the Bois du Boulogne, the historic wood.

I strongly condemn the arsonists who again tried to damage the centre for the homeless Thomas Lauret, Socialist councillor

They are situated next to palatial apartments worth up to £3 million each - prompting intense anger from neighbours. Some 40,000 local residents have signed a petition describing the centre as a 'New Sangatte' - a reference to the former Red Cross centre near Calais that acted as a magnet for thousands of migrants. Paris city council insists that only registered homeless people will be allowed inside the Paris facility, but opponents say there are now so many refugees in the city that they will head there. They say an influx of migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea will lead to an increase in lawlessness and hygiene problems, and lead to house prices collapsing.

GETTY A volunteer plays with children in the centre before the arson attack

But according to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, the 16th arrondissement currently provides just eight of the 9700 emergency accommodation places in the city. On Friday demolition workers supported by CRS riot police cleared a series of camps in the Stalingrad area of Paris, close to the Eurostar hub, and dispersed some 3,000 migrants. Many had been in the so-called 'Jungle' refuge camp in Calais, which was also razed the week before, with around 7000 migrants moved on. While many agreed to be bused to resettlement centres around France, others headed off independently while pledging to continue their journeys to the UK.

GETTY A volunteer with children at the centre on November 5th