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Britain and France Scramble as Channel Crossing Attempts by Migrants Continue More Migrants in France Attempt Dangerous Channel Crossing
(about 2 hours later)
LONDON — Britain and France scrambled on Wednesday to address the latest flash point in Europe’s festering migrant crisis after a second consecutive night in which hundreds of people living in squalid camps in northern France sought to force their way through the Channel Tunnel. LONDON — Britain and France scrambled on Wednesday to find ways to stop hundreds of people living in squalid camps in northern France from forcing their way through the Channel Tunnel.
British ministers and officials held emergency talks in London as pressure mounted on both sides of the English Channel for tighter security around the tunnel and for broader measures to defuse the situation, the most recent to highlight the scale of illegal migration from the Middle East, Africa and other poor and war-torn regions into Europe. For two successive nights, migrants trying to travel illegally to Britain have made more than a thousand attempts to gain entry to the terminal in France used by trains to make the 35-minute crossing under the English Channel.
One migrant, who the French police said was Sudanese, died after apparently being crushed by a truck, the latest of several recent fatalities among those trying to reach Britain. “Some migrants must have tried several times” to penetrate the site, Romain Dufour, a spokesman in France for Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel crossing, said Tuesday.
For two successive nights, people trying to travel illegally from France to Britain have made more than a thousand attempts to gain entry to the terminal used by trains to make the 35-minute crossing under the English Channel. “This wasn’t a wave; this was many groups, all night long,” he added. “It was more significant numbers than usual.”
Across Europe, governments are battling to contain the large movement of people that has been fueled by conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, and by economic migration. One migrant, who the French police said was Sudanese, died Tuesday night after he was apparently crushed by a truck while trying to enter the tunnel. It was the latest of several recent fatalities among those trying desperately to reach Britain.
Eurotunnel, the company that operates the Channel crossing, said in a statement on Wednesday that it had intercepted more than 37,000 migrants since January. Across Europe, governments are battling to contain the large movement of people that has been fueled by conflicts in the Middle East and Africa and by economic migration.
A spokesman from the company said there were about 1,500 attempts by migrants to gain access to the tunnel on Tuesday night, and 2,000 on Monday, Reuters reported. British ministers and other officials held emergency talks in London on Wednesday as the authorities on both sides of the English Channel considered ways to tighten security around the tunnel. Britain has promised an extra 7 million pounds, or about $11 million, to help reinforce security on the French side of the Channel; it had already committed £15 million to the effort.
The crisis is shaking public faith in the ability of Britain to police its frontiers. The disorder has also had a significant practical impact, even prompting calls from a British politician for the British Army to be deployed to search incoming vehicles. France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, also promised to reinforce security and, in a statement Tuesday, described the migration situation as one of “exceptional gravity.”
Trucks leaving Britain have been forced to wait hours, and vacationers have faced significant delays after the attempts, which Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said were “very concerning.” Many of the migrants trying to reach Britain leave from the port of Calais in France, where their numbers have swelled to more than 3,000, according to local volunteers. Some say the numbers are even higher.
“I have every sympathy with holidaymakers who are finding access to Calais difficult because of the disturbances there, and we will do everything we can to work with the French to bring these things to a conclusion,” Mr. Cameron said, referring to the northern French port, in remarks made from Singapore during a visit to Asia. Under cover of night, migrants climb over fences and other barriers at the Eurotunnel compound on the French side of the Channel to board freight trains bound for Britain.
Britain has promised an extra 7 million pounds, or about $11 million, to help reinforce security on the French side of the Channel, and Mr. Cameron was careful not to criticize the French authorities, upon whom the British rely to try to contain the migrant problem. Including the Sudanese man killed Tuesday, nine migrants have died trying to make it through the tunnel since the beginning of June.
“There’s no point trying to point fingers of blame,” Mr. Cameron said. “It’s about working with the French, putting in place these additional security measures, adding in the investment where that’s needed — Britain will always come forward with that.” The authorities in France and Britain are considering broader measures to deter migrants from trying to stow away aboard a train or truck to make the dangerous trip under the English Channel.
In a statement, France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, also promised to reinforce security and described the migration situation as one of “exceptional gravity.” Mr. Cazeneuve said that Calais was dealing with 3,000 migrants trying to reach Britain. Eurotunnel said in a statement on Wednesday that it had intercepted more than 37,000 migrants since January.
Under reciprocal arrangements, passport checks and other security measures for those traveling to Britain are undertaken on French soil before passengers leave. A spokesman for the company said there had been about 1,500 attempts by migrants to gain access to the tunnel on Tuesday night, and 2,000 on Monday, Reuters reported.
The English Channel is a flash point in the broader European crisis because many migrants are trying to travel to Britain, where they believe they will find it easier to secure work. The country also appears more attractive because Britain does not operate an identity card system and because many migrants speak English. The attempts by migrants to breach the tunnel and climb aboard trucks or trains on the French side have created disorder and delays on both sides of the Channel. The delays have shaken public faith in Britain in the ability of the government to police its frontiers. It has also had a significant practical effect: Trucks leaving Britain have been forced to wait hours, and vacationers heading to France have faced significant delays.
While many European Union nations take part in a passport-free travel zone, Britain does not. But the number of daily crossings from France to Britain makes the Channel Tunnel, and ferry ports, difficult to police. Truck drivers have complained of being threatened by groups of immigrants seeking to stow away on their vehicles. Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said the situation was “very concerning.”
“I have every sympathy with holidaymakers who are finding access to Calais difficult because of the disturbances there, and we will do everything we can to work with the French to bring these things to a conclusion,” Mr. Cameron said in remarks made in Singapore.
“There’s no point trying to point fingers of blame,” Mr. Cameron said. “It’s about working with the French, putting in place these additional security measures, adding in the investment where that’s needed. Britain will always come forward with that.”
The migrants in Calais are confined to a squalid camp with few toilets and little water on the edge of the small city. During a recent visit, it seemed most of those in the camps were Afghans, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Syrians and Sudanese.
Most plan to seek asylum when they arrive in Britain or to ask for protection as refugees. They say they are choosing to go there because they have relatives there, speak some English or believe they are more likely to get housing once they apply for asylum. It is not clear whether that belief is true. In Britain, as in many other European countries, misgivings about immigration, and sometimes outright hostility, are now expressed openly by mainstream politicians.
On Wednesday, Nigel Farage, leader of the populist, right-wing U.K. Independence Party, said the option of calling in the army should “absolutely” be considered to help resolve a “lawless, scary” situation.On Wednesday, Nigel Farage, leader of the populist, right-wing U.K. Independence Party, said the option of calling in the army should “absolutely” be considered to help resolve a “lawless, scary” situation.
In the absence of Mr. Cameron, Theresa May, the British home secretary, presided on Wednesday over an emergency meeting of senior ministers and officials in Downing Street. Under reciprocal arrangements, passport checks and other security measures for those traveling to Britain are undertaken on French soil before passengers leave. Many European Union nations take part in a passport-free travel zone, but Britain does not.
After meeting with Mr. Cazeneuve, her French counterpart, on Tuesday, Ms. May said the two countries were working on returning illegal migrants to West Africa. It was, she added, vital to ensure that people knew they would not be able to make their journey into Britain illegally. The number of daily crossings from France to Britain makes the Channel Tunnel and ferry ports difficult to police. Truck drivers have complained of being threatened by groups of immigrants seeking to stow away on their vehicles.
In the absence of Mr. Cameron, Theresa May, the British home secretary, presided over an emergency meeting Wednesday of senior ministers and officials in Downing Street.
After meeting with Mr. Cazeneuve, her French counterpart, on Tuesday, Ms. May said the two countries were working on returning illegal migrants to West Africa. It is vital, she added, to ensure that people know they will not be able to make their journey into Britain illegally.
However, she gave few details of how such a program of repatriation would work.However, she gave few details of how such a program of repatriation would work.
In its statement on Wednesday, Eurotunnel said that, since Jan. 1, it had “discretely intercepted more than 37,000 migrants, who have been handed over to the law enforcement authorities.” In its statement on Wednesday, Eurotunnel said that the continuous flow of migrants every night was “above and beyond that which a concessionaire can reasonably handle and requires a constructive and appropriate response from the governments.”
“The continuous pressure exerted every night is above and beyond that which a concessionaire can reasonably handle and requires a constructive and appropriate response from the governments,” the company said. Though the trip through the Channel Tunnel is difficult, many migrants consider it far less hazardous than, say, crossing the Mediterranean in a flimsy boat. And for many, it seems worth the risk.
“Eurotunnel and its employees, who hold to their task despite the psychological pressure that weighs on them, continue to guarantee a rapid and safe Channel crossing for its millions of customers,” it added. When asked how often he had tried to make it to Britain, an Eritrean man recently interviewed on the edge of Calais in France said: “Every night. Maybe tonight I will be lucky.”