Britain pays £150k a day for Calais migrant crisis
failure to deal with the migrant crisis and the toxic legacy of Labour’s open-door immigration policy.
“For years under Labour almost anyone was allowed to wander into Britain. It’s no wonder so many vulnerable people were drawn to the Calais migrant magnet.
“After we have spent so much already tackling the Calais chaos, we must invest more in our own borders.”
Figures show at the height of the chaos in 2015-16 Britain stumped up £111.7million to secure the border from those trying to cross the Channel illegally, up from £48.8million in 2014-15.
Since 2010 the total amount spent could have funded more than 13,500 new nurses.
Ukip home affairs spokeswoman Jane Collins said: “The crisis in Calais needs to be dealt with, but why is the UK having to fork out for what is actually a problem caused by the EU’s open-door policy to anyone saying they are from Syria and other country’s foolishness in signing up to the Schengen open border area?”
The figures obtained using Freedom of Information laws only came to light after this newspaper demanded to know the cost of Britain’s commitment in northern France.
Our request was submitted in September and should have been answered within 20 working days but it took the Home Office seven months to respond.
The outlay includes building a 13ft wall lining the approach to Calais’ besieged ferry terminal, bolstering security at controls, and “wider activity” involving the National Crime Agency to deter illegal migration in the region. Separate data shows that 24,800 people were seized attempting to enter the UK illegally in the first six months of last year. In 2015 the figure was 84,008, a rate of one every six minutes.
Independent MEP Steven Woolfe said: “These figures show the true scale of our subsidy to France for their failure to control their borders.
“In 2015, when I visited the newly opened Calais Jungle camp with the Daily Express, we could see the scale of the growing crisis.
“I warned that costs of dealing with the problem would be massive and the UK would pay. We now see that is true.”
Despite the recent demolition of the camp, migrants and people smugglers are returning to northern France in large numbers.
Almost 20,000 migrants made it to mainland Europe by sea in the first two months of the year, with numbers set to rise as weather in the Mediterranean improves.
Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said: “Despite Calais seeing UK taxpayers invest £316million in border security the EU are still not managing the issue.
“The situation may be bad now but relocating the border back to the UK will simply provide an open door. The cost to our economy would be extortionate.”
The Home Office said: “We have a strong track record of joint work with the French government.”