GETTY Richard Branson has written an article in defence of Calais migrants

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The billionaire entrepreneur, who lives on his own luxury island in the Caribbean, said he was "shocked" by Paris' crackdown on the migrants which he called inhumane and unjust. He even said he "admires the entrepreneurial spirit" of the migrants living in the squalid camp, saying he had been "inspired" by their determination to turn the tent city into a permanent shanty town.

But his remarks were quickly leapt upon by critics, who pointed out that the 65-year-old businessman could comfortably afford to house all of the migrants in Calais from his own vast fortune. One suggested that he put up refugees in his opulent lodge on 74-acre Necker Island, in the tax haven British Virgin Islands, which the billionaire owns all to himself.

GETTY The Virgin tycoon said the treatment of migrants had been 'inhumane'

GETTY French police are preparing to raze a section of the Jungle camp

However others praised the businessman, saying he was brave for being a "big voice" on behalf of desperate people fleeing war and poverty. In an article for Virgin's website the company founder claimed the migrants in Calais are being subjected to "inhumanity and injustice" by not being allowed to come to Britain. He wrote: "I was shocked to hear about the announcement of the planned eviction of the southern zone of the refugee camp at Calais, in France this week. "Refugees who gather at Calais, to try and reach the UK, have been evicted repeatedly. Forcing refugees out of the camp means already vulnerable people are dispersed without access to shelter and support. "It also puts them at greater risk from smuggler gangs, traffickers and even extremist groups. It’s clear that the solution is not eviction but instead requires political collaboration. "It can be hard to remain positive when so many face hardship all over the world. But we must continue to use our energy to fight on their behalf and against inhumanity and injustice."

GETTY French authorities insist the crime-ridden camp needs to be dismantled

GETTY Sir Richard said 300 migrant children will be left homeless by the move

His article was uploaded just hours after a vicious gang of migrants launched an attack on two innocent journalists in the Jungle camp, biting one and trying to stab the other in the face. Terrified truckers have revealed that instances of migrant violence have surged in recent months, with many resorting to increasingly desperate lengths in their bid to reach Britain. Lorry drivers believe it is only a matter of time before one of their number dies, with migrants now pushing shopping trolleys off motorway bridges, hurling rocks and attacking their cabins with knives and iron bars on a daily basis. But in his article Sir Richard insisted that the migrants in Calais - who have been repeatedly urged to claim asylum in France where they will receive state housing and support finding work - are "refugees, who have fled poverty, war and persecution".

We must continue to use our energy to fight on their behalf and against inhumanity and injustice Sir Richard Branson

He wrote: "Conditions in the camp – which lies in an industrial zone and top of a rubbish dump – are very difficult, with frequent and hazardous gas bottle explosions and disease outbreaks such as measles, with no formal aid infrastructure in place to help. "Instead, ordinary people have stepped in to provide support for the refugees, who have fled poverty, war and persecution from countries such as Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. "Since September, volunteers have helped set up a school, medical clinics, a youth centre for unaccompanied children, a women and children’s centre, a theatre with art therapy activities, a caravan zone to house families with young children, and a network of community kitchens to prepare hot food. "A legal centre was also built to help repatriate unaccompanied minors who have family in the UK, under the European asylum rule know as the Dublin III regulation. The first test case was heard successfully last month when four young refugees won the right to be reunited with their families in the UK. "The threat of the Calais prefecture’s bulldozers puts this infrastructure at risk, leaving refugees with little support."

Evicted Calais migrants sleep rough in Paris Wed, August 3, 2016 Hundreds of migrants evicted from the Calais Jungle camp sleep rough in Paris. Play slideshow Caters News Agency 1 of 191 Calais camp is dismantled as resident set fires and throw stones at Police

Sir Richard said that the decision to start dismantling the camp, announced by new Calais prefecture president Xavier Bertrand, will leave 3,000 people including 300 unaccompanied children homeless. But French authorities insist that the unofficial camp is a security threat and needs to be taken apart. They are offering the opportunity to apply for asylum to everyone living there and have created new accommodation with built in heating and electricity. And critics were quick to blast the Virgin founder online, suggesting that he should use his own vast wealth to help the migrants rather than the burden falling on the British taxpayer.