Britain’s weak borders perpetuate Calais crisis

IT IS estimated that about 200 migrants a week are being smuggled into Britain from the Calais area on the back of lorries. The government’s failure to get to grips with our porous borders is the height of irresponsibility.

We will never know for sure how many people are coming; by its very nature illegal immigration is impossible to quantify.

But what is most worrying is that we also have no idea who these new arrivals are, where they have come from or what they are likely to get up to once they have made it here.

They could well be convicted criminals, gangsters or jihadists. At the very least they will be living here illegally and most likely working here illegally as well. That they are finding it so easy to bypass our border controls is a major threat to our national security.

If it is so easy for people to sneak across our borders what is stopping criminal gangs from bringing drugs, weapons and whatever else they fancy into Britain as well?

And on a related note, it is not surprising that the Jungle migrant camp in Calais now has a record number of inhabitants. Many migrants believe that if they can make it here they will get benefits, housing and access to public services. That it is pathetically easy to get across the Channel only encourages more of them to attempt the journey.

Strong borders are vital to Britain’s security and to finding a lasting solution to the problems in Calais. Those tasked with protecting them must be given the resources they need to do their jobs properly.