There's a spirit of entrepreneurship inside one of the toughest refugee camps on the planet

Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

A migrant walks sits in front of a security fence topped with barbed and razor wire on the main access route to the Ferry Harbour Terminal, close the camp known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais, northern France, February 6, 2016.

The term "refugee camp" is often synonymous with terms like poverty, heartbreak and destruction. But one amateur photographer, Elham Ehsas, was surprised to find a lively entrepreneurial spirit when he visited the Jungle, in Calais, France.

The Jungle is a refugee camp that is home to about 5,400 total residents, according to a census by Help Refugees published in February 2016. That month, the French government announced its goals to relocate many of its residents, hoping to eventually close down the camp.

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Despite the difficult living conditions within the camp, Ehsas was impressed by the different local businesses.

"Because people have had to stay there for many months and even years, they have decided to make a means of making money," he said. "When you walk into The Jungle and you see shops everywhere, constructed from tent shelters with their own unique brand names."

Ehsas posted his images as part of a series on Instagram. His Calais Jungle Series takes you chronologically through his visit in the Jungle. He posted a few images each day for the last two weeks, finishing the series on Monday. We spoke with him to learn more about his project.