Migrant walks under sea to reach Britain
An immigrant walked the length of the 50-kilometre Channel tunnel before being caught by police less than 900 metres from Kent.
The Sudanese man walked and ran along a narrow raised walkway at the side of the south tunnel and is thought to have ducked into doorways as trains hurtled by at up to 160kmh within centimetres of his body. He spent up to 24 hours making the journey from Calais to Cheriton, near Folkestone.
Abdul Rahman Haroun, 40, entered the tunnel on Monday night as about 600 migrants tried to storm Eurotunnel’s terminal in Calais. He scaled four security fences and dodged hundreds of surveillance cameras and security guards before heading into the tunnel.
On Tuesday morning infrared detection equipment near the entrance identified that an intruder had entered the tunnel in France. Police were called to carry out a search but found nothing. Passengers faced delays of up to four hours as an inspection continued throughout Tuesday.
Haroun was discovered by police about 6pm on Tuesday in one of two 7.5m-wide railway tunnels that run under the Channel. He was charged with causing an obstruction to an engine or carriage using the railway under the Malicious Damage Act 1861, which carries a maximum two-year prison sentence. He appeared by videolink at Medway magistrates’ court yesterday and was remanded into immigration detention. He did not make a plea and was ordered to appear at Canterbury crown court on August 24.
Eurotunnel comprises two tunnels, each divided into three sections. When the alarm sounded, the section that the migrant had reached was closed and trains diverted to the second tunnel.
Haroun was not found and con- tinued on his way until he reached the open section, which the trains were still using, and carried on.
Eurotunnel said that he had almost certainly walked along platforms at the side of the tunnel, which provide access for workers carrying out maintenance and engineering work.
‘‘It was incredibly dangerous and totally illegal and also pointless because it is not possible to walk through without being detected,’’ a spokesman said.
Bruno Noel, regional secretary of the Alliance police union, said that with hundreds of migrants seeking to get into Eurotunnel’s site every night, some were making it through.
‘‘I am not surprised that one managed to walk through the tunnel. I wouldn’t be surprised if others had not already managed to get through that way,’’ he said.
Growing numbers of migrants have targeted Eurotunnel’s terminal in an attempt to jump aboard goods trains heading to Britain, with the onslaught peaking at nearly 3000 in one night last week. Nine have died. Nearly 150 got through to Britain, where they were arrested and applied for asylum.
Few migrants from Sudan leave Britain, according to the latest figures. Last year there were 49 enforced removals and 80 voluntary removals. A further 46 who were refused entry at ports subsequently left the country.
The former ambassador to France warned that there was no ‘‘magic solution’’ to the crisis. Sir John Holmes, who held the post in 2001-2007, said the situation was part of a wider influx of people into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa. UK Prime Minister David Cameron met ministers and officials yesterday to be updated on progress in updating security at Coquelles near Calais.
Britain’s The Times