Following the death of 800 migrants in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean in April, France opened its doors to asylum seekers.

Sources say the influx of asylum seekers has put pressure on the housing sector of France.

In a bid to ease the pressure, the French government has announced the construction of 10,500 housing units to meet the population of homeless migrants in the country.

A breakdown of the project shows that 5,000 housing units will be for those who have officially been granted asylum, 4,000 for asylum seekers and 1,500 to illegal immigrants.

Commenting on the new development, the Managing Director of France Terre d’Asile- a body that protects the rights of asylum seekers, Pierre Henry said “It is a sweeping plan of a type that has never been put into place until now.”