Angry migrants fired the first salvo in the battle of the Calais Jungle tonight, pelting French police with stones.
A 50-strong mob of frustrated young men threw missiles at the officers who responded with tear gas and baton charges.
The unrest comes 36 hours before the sprawling shanty town close to the Calais ferry port is cleared.
French authorities have announced they will clear all migrants out of Calais and destroy the 'Jungle' camp, starting Monday.
The group of 54 girls are the first child refugees to enter the UK from Calais under the Dubs amendment - a government pledge to help minors, reports The Observer.
The newspaper reports that the girls, most of whom are from Eritrea in Africa, were brought to the UK under the amendment - which could spark an increase in the number of young migrants coming to Britain.
Meanwhile, migrants have been encouraged to claim asylum in France. They will be processed in a nearby warehouse and sent to reception centre across the countries.
Those who refuse to claim asylum and stay in northern France risk arrest and deportation.
The police operation involving some 1,250 CRS riot police is expected to last five days.
The trouble comes after it was revealed that migrants were set to spill out into Northern France in the wake of the planned demolition of the camp.
Unofficial migrant camps without running water and toilets are expected to swell around the area after the Jungle camp is ripped to the ground next week, according to British aid volunteers.
Bulldozers will move in on the slum, with the French authorities saying the estimated 6,500 migrants camped there will be relocated, but some have already started moving on.
