PM: Brexit will bring ‘Jungle’ to Kent

DAVID CAMERON is to warn that voting for a “Brexit” would result in migrant camps springing up across the south-east of England.

The Prime Minister is to make national security issues the centrepiece of his campaign to stay in the European Union, also arguing that a vote to leave would make Britain vulnerable to terror attacks.

He will warn that migrant camps such as “The Jungle” in Calais could move to southern England because France would pull out of current border arrangements with Britain in the aftermath of an EU exit.

It is understood Mr Cameron will set out the argument in the weeks after he calls the referendum date, which is expected to be set later this month.

Downing Street hopes to use the migration crisis on the continent to its advantage by warning that a Brexit would lead to camps of illegal immigrants in the UK. Under the 2003 Le Touquet treaty between the UK and France, Britain is allowed to conduct border controls at French rather than UK borders – meaning it checks for migrants stowing away on lorries or trains bound for Britain in Calais, not Dover.

However, Mr Cameron will warn that if Britain leaves the EU, France will stop allowing UK officials to do this.

“The French would love to pull out of the arrangement,” a senior source said. “We will be telling people, look, if we leave the EU the Jungle camp in Calais will move to Folkestone. That is not something people want.”

Alongside Theresa May, the Home Secretary, who has now indicated that she will join the “Remain” campaign, Mr Cameron will warn that being part of the EU also allows Britain to share crucial information that could prevent a Paris-style attack on our streets.

The Prime Minister risks being accused of scaremongering by Eurosceptics who are highly critical of the deal he has done with Brussels.

His arguments will be directly countered by Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, who will this week warn that Britain’s open border with Europe leaves the country exposed.

At a conference called The Good Life after Brexit, he will say: “We will have no idea who these people are, where they have come from or why they want to live in Britain. The British people should make no mistake – remaining in the EU with no control of migration is a threat to national security.”

Downing Street increasingly believes that the national security issue will play as big a part in the debate as the economy. Mr Cameron and Mrs May will highlight arrangements such as the European Arrest Warrant and say that they are vital in the continued fight against jihadi groups such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

They will warn that a Paris-style attack would be more likely without the pan-European sharing of intelligence information and resources. “Yes, this will be a debate about migration and the economic benefits of the EU,” the source said. “But security is going to play just as big a part. These are dangerous times and we will make the argument that Britain is much safer as part of the European Union.”

As part of the deal on the table from Brussels, Britain will be able to ban EU nationals suspected of links to terrorist groups, even if the security services

are unable to prove that they pose an “imminent threat” to national security. This was a key demand made by Mrs May, it is understood.

Migration and the issue of border controls is set to dominate the debate ahead of the referendum, which is expected to be held on June 23. There is growing disquiet in the Conservative Party about the “emergency brake” on in-work benefits offered by Brussels.

It has emerged that around 90 per cent of the EU nationals who come to Britain would not be affected by the brake as they do not claim tax credits. Tory Eurosceptic MPs have described the “emergency brake” as a “sham” and “an insult to Britain”.

However, Mr Cameron intends to argue that leaving the EU would simply leave Britain at risk from more migrants. He will repeatedly insist that one of Britain’s most important defences against illegal immigrants is the current arrangements with France.

“Our border currently starts at Calais,” the source said. “If we are forced to abandon that, there will be real problems. What’s happening in Calais will stop being a problem for the French and become a problem for the UK.”