President François Hollande has promised closure of the camp as pressure for such a result grows while the April election approaches, and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve stated that the demolition project is only days away.

The groups were seeking postponement of the closure in order to better organize relocation of the migrants, but the court determined that the closure seeks to prevent inhuman treatment that migrants are currently subjected to at the camp.

While another concern was the transport of unaccompanied minors, the transfers are to be done pursuant to the Dublin Regulations, which in part governs family reunification.

The rights of migrant populations has emerged as one of the most significant humanitarian issues around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations.

Hungarian citizens gathered at the beginning of October to vote on a European Union (EU) referendum regarding the relocation of refugees and migrants among member states, but low voter turnout invalidated the vote.

Ahead of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants last month, UN experts urged states to protect women and girls in the movement of refugees and migrants by adhering to international human rights conventions and standards. Last month Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said that the draft of the final outcome document for the UN summit on refugees fell short of dealing with the issue effectively.

According to the rights groups, the UN is missing an opportunity by not proposing anything of substance. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said earlier last month that Austria will take Hungary to the International Court of Justice if Hungary does not begin accepting returning migrants that crossed into Austria from Hungary.

In August the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein expressed concern over Bulgaria's criminalization of migrants leaving and entering the country.

(Published by Jurist - October 18, 2016)