CAMERON ‘THE SCAREMONGER’

French torpedo PM’s claim No vote will create migrant camp in Kent

DAVID Cameron was accused of scaremongering last night for saying leaving the EU could lead to migrant camps in Britain. He warned France might end border controls if the UK voted to abandon the Brussels club.

But senior Tories dismissed this claim as alarmist rhetoric. French officials also rubbished Downing Street’s suggestion that thousands of migrants could arrive ‘ effectively overnight’ in Kent and elsewhere along the south coast.

Insiders said there had been no change in France’s official position – made public barely three months ago – that opening its borders with the UK would be foolhardy.

The Prime Minister angered senior ministers in both the In and Out groups by trying to exploit the issue of the squalid Jungle camp at Calais.

He said: ‘There are any number of opposition politicians in France who would love to tear up the excellent agreement we have with France to make sure that our borders are on their side of the Channel. And I don’t think we should give them any excuse to do that.’

But Sarah Wollaston, a Tory moderate who chairs the Commons health committee, said: ‘It is simply not credible to claim EU cooperation on security issues would end in the event of Brexit.

‘Ratcheting up the alarmist rhetoric on security will backfire. People don’t like to be taken for fools. Scaremongering about Calais overlooks that passports get checked before boarding aircraft all over the world because of pre-travel security.’

A minister who will campaign to stay inside the EU said: ‘Why on earth would you want to deliberately draw attention

to the fact there are thousands of people who want to enter the UK when we are not actually proposing to do anything to make our borders more secure? It is a case of highlighting our own weaknesses.’

Another senior source said: ‘There is a proper debate to be had about what happens to the juxtaposed controls if we leave. But camps in Folkestone? Please. Do us a favour.’

The PM’s official spokesman warned of the possibility of ‘a huge number of people coming to the UK effectively overnight to claim asylum’ in Kent. Government sources also claimed that ‘if we leave the EU the Jungle camp in Calais will move to Folkestone’.

But Britain’s border deal with France – allowing UK guards to work on French soil – has nothing to do with EU membership. Instead it relates to two treaties dating back to the 1990s.

In a further blow to the PM, Boris Johnson yesterday accused Mr Cameron of not doing enough on immigration. He said: ‘Why didn’t we try harder to recapture control of our borders, rather than stick at this minor (if worthwhile) change to the law on benefits?

‘There may be a good explanation, but we need to hear it.’

London’s mayor, who continues to flirt with the Out campaign, added: ‘Let’s hope for some answers in the next fortnight.’

As recently as October, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said: ‘Calling for the border with the English to be opened is not a responsible solution. It would send a signal to people smugglers and would lead migrants to flow to Calais in far greater numbers. A humanitarian disaster would ensue.

‘It is a foolhardy path, and one the government will not pursue. On the contrary, we’re going to make the border even more watertight to dissuade smugglers and migrants, respect international rules and reduce the pressure on Calais.’

Last night a ministry source in Paris said: ‘It is not the job of French ministers to get involved in subjects like this. There are no plans to reform the Touquet agreement, either by Mr Cazeneuve or anyone else.’

The insider said the minister was committed to tightening controls, and that leaving the French border open ‘would be a disaster’.

Tory MPs united to condemn the PM’s tactics, which they dubbed ‘Project Fear’.

Dr Liam Fox said: ‘I am sad and disappointed to see our Prime Minister stoop to this level of scaremongering, especially as he knows the Calais agreement is nothing to do with the EU and agreed between the two governments.’

Former shadow home secretary David Davis said: ‘As the argument slips away from the remain campaign they are forced to rely on desperate scaremongering.

‘It is the failed EU immigration policy that has created the Jungle camp near Calais. The idea that leaving the EU would give us less control of our borders is simply preposterous.’

John Vine, the ex-chief inspector of borders, said: ‘I don’t necessarily think this would collapse overnight. If it didn’t exist there would still be border controls.’ Eurosceptic Tory MP Bernard Jenkin: said: ‘Why on earth would the PM allow refugee camps in Kent?

‘It would be a very strange thing to do. I cannot believe this is his policy. I think he is just trying to scare people.’

Last night, Number 10 pointed to comments from Catherine Barnard, professor of European Union law at Cambridge University.

She said of the agreement: ‘There is every chance it would come to an end because it was an agreement which helps the British quite a lot and doesn’t help the French that much, because it basically requires the French to look at the people on their side of the Channel and it is their side of the Channel where the asylum applications will be made.’

Justice secretary Michael Gove said last night he would wait until Mr Cameron had concluded his negotiations in Brussels before deciding whether to join the In or Out camps.

He said that it would be a decision of ‘heart and head’.